What to do with two Roosters where one is dominate

[kimslack]

I recently bought two ameraucana roosters. I think the dark one is not pure ameraucana but close enough. I want to breed them with my hens some of which lay colored eggs to see if I get more colored layers next year. I have about 28 to 30 hens.

The pure ameraucana roo (white roo) is very submissive and the other roosters is crowing up a storm, won't let the white rooster cover the hens, marches all over the coop and the yard herding the hens and just plain being a dominant rooster. He thusfar has not been aggressive to me.

I need at least two roos to ensure fertility among the hens this coming spring. But not sure what to do about the roo behaviors. I need them both to do their work. They are in a big coop. Its winter now and they tend to stay inside. During good weather they can free range within a poultry net and have alot of room.

Any suggestions? (Just when I think I know a little about chickens...I am proved wrong)....Kim

 

[Percheron chick]

You don't care about fertility now. You can try deflating his ego by putting him in a small enclosure by himself for a while. Do you want chicks out of all 30 hens or are there 6-10 that are better layers with better colored eggs that you would want more of? I'd separate the buff rooster out with those hens in the spring, collect those eggs and hatch them. A bully rooster will produce bully get.

 

[kimslack]

Okay... I'll wait till we have a warm spell and put bully roo in a small pen by himself for awhile and let buff-boy introduce himself to the hens. I can try isolating them both in separate pens at the back of the barn with the colored egg layers to ensure fertility. This should be an interesting project. Can't wait for spring. Thank you. Kim

 

[handyman42]

What you could do is rotate stock. Put the roosters in separate pens and put a batch of hens in with them for about a week. The sperm of the roosters typically sticks around for a couple weeks and you could gather fertile eggs off of them for at least 10 days after separation from the roos. Then do it again with the next batch of hens. Then just keep rotating them out and you never have to worry about dominance again. Just a thought.

 

[mithious]

Typically,what you do if "breeding" is have a breeding house/coop, with separate pens and separate runs attatched.

A layer coop, no Roo

A grow out coop and run for broodies and their chicks

If you do meat birds, another housing for them

You pick your best hens and put them in with the Rooster in the breeding setup

Of course that's the ideal setup...but maybe adapt some of it to what you currently have?

The Heritage threads have tons of info on breeding, even though they are breeding for SOP, there are still lots of ideas on housing and breeding and I bet you could find some more ideas from some of those threads that you could use also!

Best of luck with your propagation project!!!

 

[kimslack]

For about 4 years I had two barnevelder roos who got along very nicely and always threw some pretty good little chicks. But they were getting seriously old and I wanted to try something different. I have learned that other rooster breeds don't necessarily have the 'laid back' ways of barnevelders. But I do have one area in the back of the barn that has an opening and a small run which I can use for isolating one of the roos and let the other just hang out with the other hens. I'll try doing that.... isolate and add the best hens with him and collect the eggs throughout the week. The barnies were much easier but I need some challenge in my life right about now. Kim

 

[aart]

How 'recently' is recently? Maybe they need more time to acclimate and work out the order?

If the bully doesn't chill out, you might not want his chicks.

Good Luck with your program, I'm sure you'll figure it out!