Will putting rooster in a timeout help?

[suzychappstick]

Hi all! By accident I received 2 roosters with my last batch of chicks. I have one really dominant one named Sven. My other rooster, Ole, is the biggest scaredy cat I've ever met. I put Sven in with the older ladies so they would keep him in line. I also have carried him around a lot to show my dominance. He did fine with all accept two who hid in the coop all day and Sven would peck at them as soon as they tried to go out. I put Ole in the big coop and he hid under the coop all day. I now have Ole (the white one), the 2 older hens and 2 younger hens together in smaller coop and run. They get along great. Question, if I put Sven in a timeout all by himself and all other chickens and Ole together, will that reset the pecking order?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Roosters have a pecking order, and hens have a separate pecking order. Your roosters will maintain their status or you will cause fighting between them by removing one temporarily.

Two roosters are never a good idea as they focus on each other. It's best to keep one, or swap them out. If you had a bigger flock than multiple roosters can cohabitate if there's enough room as aggression can be spread out more.

This is all general information. All roosters are different. If you are already having problems, than things may get worse.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Maybe.
I had a similar situation except my two Roos were in a flock of new chicks, all the same age. Dominance of one was obvious early on, but as the more slowly developing Cochin caught up, I think it occurred to him that perhaps he could be The Man. Around 15 weeks (adolescence?) he got very nasty towards several of the hens, to the point I seriously considered rehoming him. One morning, out of frustration I grabbed him by his tail feathers and tossed him into a large wire dog crate that was set up nearby. He was incarcerated for three full days. The other chickens walked around him, looked at him, sat on top of the crate, poked through the wire to steal his food. It was the equivalent of being in public stocks.

Honestly, I was using this time to find him a new home, but when I let him out to walk around a bit, it was as if he’d been to reform school. He’s turned out to be the top rooster, but he and #2 are amicable, and he’s the more gentlemanly of the two. He’s incredibly roostery in his flock tending. I’m glad he got a second chance, especially since it was unintended.

Was the change a result of the timeout? I don‘t know for certain but I like to think so, at least in part. All flock situations are different and the variables are countless, and every bird’s personality and aptitude are unlike any other, so anything is possible.

If you can take the time, there is a plethora of rooster information on BYC - the threads are innumerable but search the articles for more concise reading. You’ll find a spectrum of divergent philosophies, and hopefully some will help guide you and your boys.

Good luck! Those are some handsome Roos!

 

[suzychappstick]

Roosters have a pecking order, and hens have a separate pecking order. Your roosters will maintain their status or you will cause fighting between them by removing one temporarily.

Two roosters are never a good idea as they focus on each other. It's best to keep one, or swap them out. If you had a bigger flock than multiple roosters can cohabitate if there's enough room as aggression can be spread out more.

This is all general information. All roosters are different. If you are already having problems, than things may get worse.

Good point. I have 12 ladies, is that enough for 2 roos? I could swap out, but with our MN winters I would worry that the separated roo would get chilly all by himself.

I will continue to read the forums for more info and maybe try the time out. At least see if it works. I don't want my original ladies being forced to stay inside the coop. If Sven doesn't let them out of the coop, he may just sadly have to go. I will keep trying though! Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Good point. I have 12 ladies, is that enough for 2 roos? I could swap out, but with our MN winters I would worry that the separated roo would get chilly all by himself.

I will continue to read the forums for more info and maybe try the time out. At least see if it works. I don't want my original ladies being forced to stay inside the coop. If Sven doesn't let them out of the coop, he may just sadly have to go. I will keep trying though! Thanks for your thoughts.

I generally wait and watch. Your boys are younger? Most roosters can take up to 2 years to fully mature. In winter things are pretty docile as hormones are lower. Next spring you may or may not change your mind as hormones surge again. I try to wait until the following spring to make rooster decisions if you have the room for them.

 

[aart]

I have 12 ladies, is that enough for 2 roos?

There are no magic numbers...it's all about the individual birds demeanor's.
Your winter(well all year) will be much more pleasant if you get rid of at least one of the males