Will my rooster be ok with an 8 week old Cockerel?

[Feath3rDust3r]

My big old 5 year old rooster has a son...but he's never hung out with him yet!!! I want to keep them both because we love the old guy but he's too old to keep up with his "wives". I'm wondering if I intergrate my 6 week old flock with the old guys and he'll be ok with the little boy. I usually bring new pullets in at this age, but I've never added another boy.

They've lived in side by side coops so they do know each other pretty well

 

[hysop]

It doesn’t matter that he’s the father, he will still fight him. Especially once that cockerel’s hormones surge and he ends up wanting to mate with his hens.

 

[allosaurusrock]

I would not do it this young.

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

I have raised roosters together before and they were fine so I was just wondering if it would work if I started the little guy in now before he's actually a threat

 

[hysop]

They were fine even with hens?

I’ve kept roosters together and they got along great but no hens were involved. Or what made it easier is they free ranged all day.

But when I penned two of them up with 7 hens they always got in fights. Not bloody fights but fights.

He won’t hurt the rooster at this age cuz he’s still a kid in a sense. ETA: eventually they would fight though it’s unavoidable, probably not to the death, but still would have ongoing fights.

 

[hysop]

I have raised roosters together before and they were fine so I was just wondering if it would work if I started the little guy in now before he's actually a threat

The thing is they’ll get along right now because he’s still a young bird but once his hormones come into play that’s when all friendships will die. But it doesn’t hurt to try and you can always share your experience if it ended up working out.

Usually they’ll get along until the cockerel is a year old or so, then things will begin to change.

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

They were fine even with hens?

I’ve kept roosters together and they got along great but no hens were involved. Or what made it easier is they free ranged all day.

But when I penned two of them up with 7 hens they always got in fights. Not bloody fights but fights.

He won’t hurt the rooster at this age cuz he’s still a kid in a sense. ETA: eventually they would fight though it’s unavoidable, probably not to the death, but still would have ongoing fights.

Yes, one was dominant but they were babies together and free up never separated. I did have about 25 hens tho

 

[hysop]

Yes, one was dominant but they were babies together and free up never separated. I did have about 25 hens tho

25 hens is more than enough for 2 roosters. That’s probably why they never fought. There will still be a dominant one, but if there are enough hens for both they won’t fight.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My old rooster was fine with his son for a few years. They only stopped being fine when the son left for a week for fair. Then they couldn't be together

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

My old rooster was fine with his son for a few years. They only stopped being fine when the son left for a week for fair. Then they couldn't be together

Thanks everyone. I think I'll give it another couple of weeks and then try it to see how we go. If it turns out to be a problem I'll have to separate the old guy from the girls