When buying straight run chicks go wonky

[ShelbyD91]

SO! Hello all! First time on the app and second time chicken and duck mom here. We bought 7 Rhode Island Red pullets from TSC which turned into actually buying 4 cockerels and 3 pullets. Ummmm……. I now feel like I need some help and advice. Can these 4 little dudes live together? They can’t all hang out with my girls all together can they, during the day? I haven’t found anywhere for them to be rehomed but I kinda don’t want to rehome if I can keep from it. They have all been together since birth. There are already an Alfa and beta but they are still trying to get a feel for the pecking order. No actual fights have broke out yet and the ladies get left alone this far.

 

[Rose Quartz]

SO! Hello all! First time on the app and second time chicken and duck mom here. We bought 7 Rhode Island Red pullets from TSC which turned into actually buying 4 cockerels and 3 pullets. Ummmm……. I now feel like I need some help and advice. Can these 4 little dudes live together? They can’t all hang out with my girls all together can they, during the day? I haven’t found anywhere for them to be rehomed but I kinda don’t want to rehome if I can keep from it. They have all been together since birth. There are already an Alfa and beta but they are still trying to get a feel for the pecking order. No actual fights have broke out yet and the ladies get left alone this far.

Most likely at some point there will be fighting over just 3 girls.

That being said i was able to keep a fully adult roo, along with his mature but under 1 year old son together through the winter without them fighting. Once spring hit dad was chasing the younger boy clear across the yard. I do have 3 acres that they free-range on. Those 2 didnt hurt each other. But i did have a 25 girls, and plenty of space.

Younger boy has been rehomed now. So it's hard to say how it would have been later.

You might be able to set them up in a bachelor pen if you're determined to keep them. If there arent any girls to fight over roosters I've heard get along.

You shouldnt have to worry about fighting until at the earliest 13 weeks. But if they're calm boys maybe as late as 25 weeks. The bigger worry is the girls caught in the middle who won't be ready when the boys are and being punished for not submitting to them.

 

[BlueBaby]

As soon as those boy's hormone's kick in, there will be a lot of fighting between the boy's, and the girl's will suffer. If you plan to keep all of those boy's, it would be best to separate them from the girl's.

 

[ShelbyD91]

Most likely at some point there will be fighting over just 3 girls.

That being said i was able to keep a fully adult roo, along with his mature but under 1 year old son together through the winter without them fighting. Once spring hit dad was chasing the younger boy clear across the yard. I do have 3 acres that they free-range on. Those 2 didnt hurt each other. But i did have a 25 girls, and plenty of space.

Younger boy has been rehomed now. So it's hard to say how it would have been later.

You might be able to set them up in a bachelor pen if you're determined to keep them. If there arent any girls to fight over roosters I've heard get along.

You shouldnt have to worry about fighting until at the earliest 13 weeks. But if they're calm boys maybe as late as 25 weeks. The bigger worry is the girls caught in the middle who won't be ready when the boys are and being punished for not submitting to them.

Thank you for replying! We absolutely have every plan on separating them when they go outside, coop wise. we do want to breed so I wasn’t sure if he can just go back to his coop with the other guys and they all still be okay, after doing his thing.

 

[ShelbyD91]

As soon as those boy's hormone's kick in, there will be a lot of fighting between the boy's, and the girl's will suffer. If you plan to keep all of those boy's, it would be best to separate them from the girl's.

Thank you! What would you recommend on about how far apart I should separate them? I’ll have a coop and run for each gender.

 

[BlueBaby]

I don't know how big your yard is as far as space is concerned. Are you planning on keeping all of those boy's, or just one for future breeding?

 

[McChooky]

Before deciding to raise chicks consider how you're going to get rid of the males that hatch otherwise they'll quickly become a burden. A rooster eats 78 lbs of feed a year and you have 4 (312 lbs feed per year) Money is best spent on Hens, they put food on the table .

 

[McChooky]

Thank you for replying! We absolutely have every plan on separating them when they go outside, coop wise. we do want to breed so I wasn’t sure if he can just go back to his coop with the other guys and they all still be okay, after doing his thing.

If you keep him with boys all the time they'll get along and if you keep him with the girls all the time they'll get along but when you remove him from the girls for a period of time he could be rejected by the hens when re-introduced. If you decide to turn him out with the girls by day he is going to try to go i the coop with the girls.You'll have to find a way to physically put him in the coop at night with the boys if thats your plan.Free ranging 4 roosters with 3 hens will get the girls raped and abused.

 

[ShelbyD91]

I don't know how big your yard is as far as space is concerned. Are you planning on keeping all of those boy's, or just one for future breeding?

Right now, our best plan is keep 1 rooster and when the other roosters get grown enough, we will just eat them. My yard is a half acre.

 

[BlueBaby]

Right now, our best plan is keep 1 rooster and when the other roosters get grown enough, we will just eat them. My yard is a half acre.

That sound's like a good plan.