3 roosters - which to re-home?

[Randysflock119]

Hi everyone,
This spring I lost 7 chickens to predators, 6 hens and my rooster. 2 hens were left, Brownie (age 4) and Henriette (1 1/2 yo)
So to rebuild my flock I bought an Easter Egger cockerel (Remy), and 3 pullets: Midnight, Olivia, and Winny. Olivia and Winny hatched together and came as a bonded pair from a nearby farm.
We also got an Omlet chicken coop with 6x12’ run and did some additional predator-proofing around the perimeter.
I kept Remy separate from the girls in our old coop, thinking I’d let the 3 pullets integrate with the 2 older hens for a few months while Remy got more mature.
End of June we discovered Midnight was actually a late-blooming rooster… shoot. Brownie, the dominant hen, pecks him and chases him around constantly. Midnight is now about 6 months old and looking pretty full grown. He is still in the Omlet with the hens but he still seems to be in the middle of the pecking order, definitely not the top. He only cries when Brownie is not around and otherwise he is hiding from her/running from her.
Well, unfortunately in the last few days, Winny went through a growth spurt and it’s clear that Winny is actually Winston - another rooster! Winston and Olivia are still extremely bonded and spend all their time together and snuggle every night. But the 2 older hens chase him AND the slightly-older rooster, Midnight, chases him.
Remy, is still in the separated coop.
The question is… which one to keep??? My goal was to have 5 hens and 1 rooster. Now I only have 3 hens and 3 roosters. The plan is to re-home 2 roosters, and then adopt 2 more hens next spring. (It all feels like an elementary school mental math problem!!)

So far none of the hens are letting Midnight (the oldest rooster at 6 months) mate with them. Midnight and Winston both get picked on constantly… I’m assuming because they were resided as/with hens? Will they ever rise above to control the flock? Or is my only hope to wait until Remy is a full adult and then integrate him in with the hens - he’s only ever met them through the gate so maybe he can de-throne Brownie.
But then what about Olivia and Winston’s bond?? Will she be crushed? I can’t let Olivia be the only one who Winston breeds with her because the older ones won’t allow him??

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Eventually they will all start making troubles. Most cockerel do. Some are more respectful than others. I would pick the one you most like and the one you feel fits in the best. You can do a trial removal of one or two, and see how it goes. You may also find one rooster is one too many.

Chickens always want to be with those they were raised with. So groups will stick with groups generally.

 

[McChooky]

Every batch I've raised prefers the chicks they're raised with. Birds of a feather do stick together...

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can't tell how old Remy is, the new pullet or the other two cockerels. It sounds like they are all still pretty immature. You cannot tell how an immature cockerel will behave when he grows up until he grows up. This is especially true when he is being dominated by mature hens or other males.

I don't know what your goals with having a rooster are but I don't need to. Try to pick the one that you want to keep based on what you know now and rehome the other two. He may work out or he may not but from what you've told us I can't see a lot of difference in them that would make me choose one over the other. Most cockerels work out if you can get passed their immature cockerel phase but that can be hard to watch.

 

[Randysflock119]

I can't tell how old Remy is, the new pullet or the other two cockerels. It sounds like they are all still pretty immature. You cannot tell how an immature cockerel will behave when he grows up until he grows up. This is especially true when he is being dominated by mature hens or other males.

I don't know what your goals with having a rooster are but I don't need to. Try to pick the one that you want to keep based on what you know now and rehome the other two. He may work out or he may not but from what you've told us I can't see a lot of difference in them that would make me choose one over the other. Most cockerels work out if you can get passed their immature cockerel phase but that can be hard to watch.

Thank you! That’s helpful. Remy and Winston (cockerels) are both 4.5 months. Midnight (cockerel) 6 months. Olivia (1 pullet) 4.5 months. Then the 2 adult hens.

 

[Gavinthechickenman]

Can we see them ?

 

[Randysflock119]

Midnight - he tries to mate with an unwilling Olivia, who is below him in the pecking order. Picks on Winston (4.5 mo cockerel, below) and chases him, bites him constantly, but still runs and cowers from the two older hens, does not attempt to mate with them.

Winston (with his brooder-mate Olivia behind him) He is physically a cockerel but hasn’t shown any rooster behaviors so far. He acts like a hen and has not attempted a crow.

Remy - Has been in the old coop, separated from the others. He has been acting like a male since 8 weeks old, crowing (his crow is getting really good lately), outgoing personality and is a bit of a daredevil.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'd choose Winston. I prefer them more respectful at that age, but you never know. He may be a troublemaker when the more dominant cockerel is gone. They are both pretty.

 

[Randysflock119]

I'd choose Winston. I prefer them more respectful at that age, but you never know. He may be a troublemaker when the more dominant cockerel is gone. They are both pretty.

Thank you. I am replacing my rooster of 5 years who died in a hawk attack earlier this year. He was a very docile gentleman.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I like to set young roosters in with older hens. They start out on the bottom of the totem pole, but when they become more "active" with the hens, they end up more tender, and respectful. I would chose Midnight. Actually I would chose the one nicest to me.