Bachelor Flock: Worked So Far... What am I doing Wrong?

[cmom]

That has always worked for me too. Once you take one of the males out for a couple of days the as you did switch them around they will usually be ok but still have a pecking order.

 

[Mom2FluffButts]

In my experience it will continue until they work it out. But my boys who fight still go to bed together and do other things as buddies. and continue to test and set boundaries with each other but not to brutally anymore. The subordinate knows his place and runs off early (morning is high hormone time) and comes back around when the coast is clear to eat.. well, I used multiple feeding stations because they can't very well dominate two at the same time!

As one poster stated.. enough cannot be said about two things specifically.. 1) a good mature head cock and 2) selection for fitting in with no bully or victim demeanor birds being kept in the stock.

When I kept a bachelor pen.. I would remove the stag over night and place with the ladies where he would spend the day. I return said stag back to the dark roost before the following (2nd) day so he wakes up again with his comrades. There isn't enough time for the bachelor pad to have starting going through any changes yet and order is maintained, drama is minimal. Since fertility is viable often for 14+ days and I have no need for long term conjugal visits. Arranging a day or two weekly during breeding season like this has been sufficient for both fertility and manageability of flock antics..

I even kept different egg color breeds.. so I could swap in the correct rooster and collect all but set from only the hens I wish to hatch.. keep 4 or 5 breeds in only 2 pastures/coops and this way. Several hens of each breed, plenty of hens to go around when needed. When space and resources are limited but goals and expectations are high.. gotta get creative.


So uhm.. compost them.

Sorry, I know that every life is valuable. But so is my sanity and the peace of my flock! It took a long time to accept that sometimes the humane thing to do for everyone involved might be euthanasia/culling for the trouble maker.. noting with COCKERELS you might just be opening the door for the next trouble maker. I liked the Biels at first.. every single one of them eventually tested me. They were tasty.

I agree separation is pretty much the end here and does not improve things IF created by ME. But if the fleeing bird can get away and stay out of sight well enough to show his defeat and submission without being cornered.. they usually slowly work their way back in and get tolerated at a distance. Stag pens.. more bachelors means smoother running as antics bounce around more like billiards table reaction and less focused on fewer individuals..

My chickens don't respond much to mirrors.. but enrichment definitely helps.. hanging corn on the cobs, visual barriers that block direct line of sight, extra roost.. anything new or even the same things moved to a different location so they have to explore to see what just happened type stuff.

Many fights look pretty bloody but are often superficial as you saw. Some are missing comb and wattle chunks here. EE aren't my favorite roosters though I love the hens. They bring no breeding value to my stock, though many are beautiful.

Hope you get some useful tips and things settle down quickly for your fella's!

I'm currently setting up a bachelor flock for my Marans and Langshans. How as introducing young cockerels into the mix? Im trying to plan ahead for future lines