Why can’t I keep 5 roosters

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bobbi-j said:
Because as the cockerels come into sexual maturity, they're going to make those pullets miserable. The pullets don't mature as quickly, so they're not going to be ready for or enjoy the extra attention from the boys. Several years ago, I had a bunch of chicks - equal numbers of cockerels and pullets. When those cockerels came of age, they were relentless. They constantly chased and gang-bred those poor pullets. The girls didn't get a chance to eat, drink or dust bathe because every time they stopped moving, there were multiple males jumping on them. It may be working for now, but I would strongly suggest that you have a Plan B for when things go south. It will happen quickly when it does. Maybe keep your cockerels separate in their own bachelor pen.

ETA - you should also be prepared for them to start fighting as they come of age. Chances are good that it will happen.
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Ok..so how soon should I start looking for this behavior..and once I separate the males..then what..just let them fight? Ugh
 
I have heard of people building "bachelor" coops and runs to keep extra cockerels or roosters. That may be an option if you have the space and want to keep them all.

Have you thought about trying to rehome a few? If they are well mannered, perhaps someone would take a them. I may think about adding a good rooster to my flock in a few years when I am a more experienced chicken-keeper. It would be nice to start with a rooster with a known temperment rather than rearing up an unknown chick that could turn into a jerk.

If you could get used to the idea, you could probably hire someone to process them, or take them somewhere to have it done. I bought 13 pullets last May. If any of them had turned out to be cockerels I had planned to keep the best one and take the rest to a local farmer's market where I have been told that some local Mennonite farmers will purchase or take cockerels for processing. Not an ideal solution for individual birds, but it seems important to put the safety and harmony of the whole flock first.
 
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Duckfarmer1 said:
Ok..so how soon should I start looking for this behavior..and once I separate the males..then what..just let them fight? Ugh
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How old are they now? (If you said it, I missed it, sorry.) As with any living creature, there is no definite timeline, but I would say anywhere from 3-6 months.

They’re less likely to fight when separated from the females.

Duckfarmer1 said:
How big do you make a grow out pen for five guys
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They should have enough space for feed, water and to move around comfortably.
Duckfarmer1 said:
Got it, guess I’m just nieve to all of this and want everyone to live in harmony...some may think that’s silly and that’s ok...I’ll do what’s needed for the farm, but I don’t have to like it all
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As Aart or Mrs. K (I can’t remember which, but they’re both experienced chicken keepers, from whom I have learned a lot) has said, “This is where the romance of keeping chickens meets reality.”
 
bobbi-j said:
As Aart or Mrs. K (I can’t remember which, but they’re both experienced chicken keepers, from whom I have learned a lot) has said, “This is where the romance of keeping chickens meets reality.”
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That was me...Mrs. K says "solve for the peace of the flock" which also applies here.
 

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