My two roosters have started fighting.

[RonnieRennae]

I have one 3 year old rooster who is very sweet and one 11 month old rooster who has grown very large. They used to get along great, but now it’s a fight to the death. I have 15 hens. I have to keep them separated, but if the young one escapes, he will seek out and try to destroy the older roo who will run away and try to hide. I love them both. They are good to the hens and great with people, but it is getting hard moving the roosters around morning and night and hoping the young one doesn’t escape without us knowing because he will kill my older boy. Any suggestions as to how to get these roosters to co-exist peacefully again?

 

[Perris]

hello @RonnieRennae - welcome to BYC

Has the 11 month old grown up in the flock, or did you buy him in?

 

[SourRoses]

They won't get along again.
A more secure pen, or rehoming a rooster, those are the choices they've left you with.

When left to fight it out, the most common victor is the young rooster, leaving the elder to limp off (if he survives) an outcast from the flock. Even if the young successor is removed after that, the elder don't really get their mojo back, they've been broken.

 

[BDutch]

Welcome @RonnieRennae
My idea (not my own experience/only from reading ) is that you have 2 or maybe 3 options.

1. Improve separation (as Raingarden says)
2. Discard the young rooster
3. Free range (less stress/ more hiding places) but this choice can be hazardous and not sure if this is a real option. When the young rooster gets older he might get calmer. Maybe it doesn’t work now but it could in a year or so.

@Shadrach ?

 

[Perris]

since a picture can speak 1,000 words, have a look at this

 

[Shadrach]

For most contained groups seperate enclosures for each rooster and their favourite hens is the most likely solution as @raingarden points out.
For ranging and free ranging groups it's often a question of space. You're looking at least half an acre per group with a coop for each group.

That's a very rough guide. There are lots of caveats some of which are the relatedness of the males, their temprement, their ability to attract hens, if not related how they been aquired and at what age, plus quite a few more.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Any suggestions as to how to get these roosters to co-exist peacefully again?

While nothing is totally impossible, it is extremely unlikely that they could ever get along again.

You can separate the birds into two flocks in separate coops -- preferably at a distance so that they can't fight through the wire -- or decide which one you prefer to keep and sell or eat the other.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It took my elder male months to get accepted back by his son, and that was after separating the elder where they could see him but not get to him and waiting for their hormones to die down. There is still the chance that in a month or a day I have to do it again, but since I currently have several roosters up around that pen, the son has been more focused on keeping the younger, stronger males away than the older, obviously less of a threat males.

 

[Yardmom]

I have a flock where younger roos have taken over at times. Yes the older roos ended up with a bit of a separation, but they do after a time find a place in the flock as subordinates. Usually it takes about a month. As far as if the OPs roos could do this will depend on space, human tolerance and the personalities of the birds especially the one to become dominant roo. Others have commented on the space, human talerance is if the people are willing to let them fight it out (removeing and returning the cockeral over and over again just restart the fight), and possibly the most important the personalities of the birds. First off will the losing roo admit defeat? This would mean running away and maybe hiding. It usually takes a few battles over a few days before a final retreat. If a losing roo will not retreat the other roo won't stop, so it won't work. I have never seen a case of this. On the other side the winning roo needs to accept when the losing roo gives up. When the losing roo retreats the winner needs to back off. He may give a little chase, but an all out pursuit is definitely sign that the roo is not ready to work with another roo. Then another solution such as the two coops is needed.

 

[Klutch]

You can put him(them) on a tether, that's what they do with sporting birds.