Need Advice- How do I start a Bachelor flock?

[SuspiciousChick]

@SuspiciousChick keep in mind, I am a huge fan of roosters. I have 5, and it’s looking like I’ll have 6 soon. I could not cull them or rehome them. I’m too soft. (I wish my heart would let me, I’d have broiler birds!) everybody’s experience is different. We can give advice and suggestions but ultimately it’s your decision. Maybe your boys will get those hormones in high gear, and be just fine, still little sweethearts. But in MY experience that hasn’t been the case. But again in my experience, my boys mellowed out, and they’re not the little sweethearts they were, but are great roosters. Even if your boys turn out to be little terrors, and you decide to keep them, we’ll still help you anyway we can. In this community it’s been my experience for every person that says you need to cull them, there will be 2 people with alternative suggestions.
My point is always have hope, because you never know what YOUR experience will be.

I am also too soft, I couldn’t stand to rehome my boys for the fear that they’d end up as a cheap meal, and I couldn’t cull them myself. Even if they turn out to be meanies, I’d always remember when they were sweet and that I cared for them everyday and that I built a relationship with them. I’d be happy even if they grew up to be “neutral” toward me, just not human aggressive, so my parents wouldn’t want to rehome them. I appreciate your kind words very much

 

[SuspiciousChick]

When one considers cockerels there are three areas where keeping them becomes difficult or dangerous.

• Harassment of the pullets - they rapidly out grow the pullets and can bully them.
• Cock-fighting - they can live together perfectly fine, and then for no apparent reason, have a throw down. Sometimes living together in a bachelor flock will help with this, sometimes it does not.
• Human aggression - there is a theory that handling male chicks
  • will keep them pet like - this does work sometimes
  • or remove their fear of humans, and that leads to human aggression. Which seems counter intuitive, but this board is filled with posts where the darling becomes the nightmare in a second.

Which leads me back to my original statement - cockerels are a crap shoot, but always BE AWARE of them.
Mrs K

I will definitely stay aware as they grow older. My father was sent to the hospital by a rooster years ago, so I’ll be careful if they turn out to be human aggressive, because I know they can be dangerous.

 

[Mrs. K]

Good luck!

 

[chooki]

I have a small rooster flock, it has been almost 2.5 years now. I had removed nicely laced pure breed birds to people who wanted to breed them and added newly grew up ones.

Currently I have 4 roosters/cockerels in the flock, they live together peacefully.

- In regards to the aggression:

It helps to have a good head rooster. The current top rooster will step in to stop a fight before it gets physical. I will punish any birds for showing human aggression by locking the aggressive bird in a rooster jail:

Any unruly cockerel/rooster that challenges my authority goes into one of these for solitary confinement until he reforms, he is allowed to watch other roosters free ranging while reflecting on his own mistakes. There are food and water, but the bird is not allow to go back to the main coop at night while being punished.

The trick is to make sure your cockerel/rooster knows what he is punished for.

I find this method works, although some cockerels forget faster than the others, so for some birds, you might have to repeat the process.

- Estimated run and coop size

Well, the bigger the better, but at least 1 square meters per bird inside the coop. I highly recommend free ranging them during the day. Larger space tends to minimise birds fighting.

I also have a large cage inside the coop for the young cockerel introduction period and just in case there is a really bad fight and I have to separate the flock. Although I never had to use it for the latter purpose.

Also, always provide some places where a defeated bird could hide, I think this is essential to prevent a bird from getting badly injured.

- Can these all-male flocks truly work?

Yes ... well, most of the times anyways if you are patient and put in the effort the right way.

Bear in mind, there will be fights and there will be blood.

At least for me, there has never been a permanent injury or death due to scuffle amongst my birds in the rooster flock.

 

[z3lda3]

I have a small rooster flock, it has been almost 2.5 years now. I had removed nicely laced pure breed birds to people who wanted to breed them and added newly grew up ones.

Currently I have 4 roosters/cockerels in the flock, they live together peacefully.

View attachment 4104048

- In regards to the aggression:

It helps to have a good head rooster. The current top rooster will step in to stop a fight before it gets physical. I will punish any birds for showing human aggression by locking the aggressive bird in a rooster jail:

View attachment 4104083

Any unruly cockerel/rooster that challenges my authority goes into one of these for solitary confinement until he reforms, he is allowed to watch other roosters free ranging while reflecting on his own mistakes. There are food and water, but the bird is not allow to go back to the main coop at night while being punished.

The trick is to make sure your cockerel/rooster knows what he is punished for.

I find this method works, although some cockerels forget faster than the others, so for some birds, you might have to repeat the process.

- Estimated run and coop size

Well, the bigger the better, but at least 1 square meters per bird inside the coop. I highly recommend free ranging them during the day. Larger space tends to minimise birds fighting.

I also have a large cage inside the coop for the young cockerel introduction period and just in case there is a really bad fight and I have to separate the flock. Although I never had to use it for the latter purpose.

Also, always provide some places where a defeated bird could hide, I think this is essential to prevent a bird from getting badly injured.

- Can these all-male flocks truly work?

Yes ... well, most of the times anyways if you are patient and put in the effort the right way.

Bear in mind, there will be fights and there will be blood.

At least for me, there has never been a permanent injury or death due to scuffle amongst my birds in the rooster flock.

@chooki I’m sorry but you can not post pictures with such beautiful birds without breeds and names.
They’re gorgeous!

 

[chooki]

@chooki I’m sorry but you can not post pictures with such beautiful birds without breeds and names.
They’re gorgeous!

This is my top rooster: Man Child ("鸡崽子")：

He is 2 years and a few days old. I bought him as an egg, given to my broody hen and he was the only one that hatched. I am not sure his exact breed, but I suspect a mix of various breeds.

This was when he was a few days old, with his mum.

He is a sweet boy that follows me around and likes to be petted.

The second in command is Big Blackie, a 2.5 years old black Australorp, one of the first two crew members of this flock. I have bought him as a day old.

He was the top rooster until toppled by Man Child.

Then I have two 11 months old cockerels, a red mutt cockerel and a barred rock (mix?)

The picture below was taken when they have first arrived on the farm to join the two other roosters:

For the first few months, the two older roosters treated the cockerels like babies, calling them when they have found food.

Picture above: the rooster flock foraging together. As you can see, the cockerels are almost their full adult size.

 

[z3lda3]

This is my top rooster: Man Child ("鸡崽子")：

View attachment 4104303

He is 2 years and a few days old. I bought him as an egg, given to my broody hen and he was the only one that hatched. I am not sure his exact breed, but I suspect a mix of various breeds.

This was when he was a few days old, with his mum.

View attachment 4104308

He is a sweet boy that follows me around and likes to be petted.

The second in command is Big Blackie, a 2.5 years old black Australorp, one of the first two crew members of this flock. I have bought him as a day old.

View attachment 4104313

He was the top rooster until toppled by Man Child.

View attachment 4104314

Then I have two 11 months old cockerels, a red mutt cockerel and a barred rock (mix?)

The picture below was taken when they have first arrived on the farm to join the two other roosters:

View attachment 4104315

For the first few months, the two older roosters treated the cockerels like babies, calling them when they have found food.


View attachment 4104316

Picture above: the rooster flock foraging together. As you can see, the cockerels are almost their full adult size.

Oh my goodness! You have a beautiful rooster flock! Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful pictures! Can I ask about your austrolorps temperament? I’ve got a Austrolorp hen, she’s so docile and easy to please. She gets along with all my other chickens, and is super people friendly. Are the roosters the same way? (I mean..for roosters.) you’ve got some happy looking boys!

 

[chooki]

Oh my goodness! You have a beautiful rooster flock! Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful pictures! Can I ask about your austrolorps temperament? I’ve got a Austrolorp hen, she’s so docile and easy to please. She gets along with all my other chickens, and is super people friendly. Are the roosters the same way? (I mean..for roosters.) you’ve got some happy looking boys!

My Australorp rooster was friendly, calm and not feisty when he was the top rooster.

Things have changed after he had been toppled by Man Child. Man Child is nice towards the cockerels, but is mean towards Big Blackie, possibly for revenge, or to fortify dominance .. maybe both.

Nowadays, the Australorp rooster is still friendly towards people, although less so than before. He is also more skittish, especially when he is around the top rooster.

 

[SuspiciousChick]

I have a small rooster flock, it has been almost 2.5 years now. I had removed nicely laced pure breed birds to people who wanted to breed them and added newly grew up ones.

Currently I have 4 roosters/cockerels in the flock, they live together peacefully.

View attachment 4104048

- In regards to the aggression:

It helps to have a good head rooster. The current top rooster will step in to stop a fight before it gets physical. I will punish any birds for showing human aggression by locking the aggressive bird in a rooster jail:

View attachment 4104083

Any unruly cockerel/rooster that challenges my authority goes into one of these for solitary confinement until he reforms, he is allowed to watch other roosters free ranging while reflecting on his own mistakes. There are food and water, but the bird is not allow to go back to the main coop at night while being punished.

The trick is to make sure your cockerel/rooster knows what he is punished for.

I find this method works, although some cockerels forget faster than the others, so for some birds, you might have to repeat the process.

- Estimated run and coop size

Well, the bigger the better, but at least 1 square meters per bird inside the coop. I highly recommend free ranging them during the day. Larger space tends to minimise birds fighting.

I also have a large cage inside the coop for the young cockerel introduction period and just in case there is a really bad fight and I have to separate the flock. Although I never had to use it for the latter purpose.

Also, always provide some places where a defeated bird could hide, I think this is essential to prevent a bird from getting badly injured.

- Can these all-male flocks truly work?

Yes ... well, most of the times anyways if you are patient and put in the effort the right way.

Bear in mind, there will be fights and there will be blood.

At least for me, there has never been a permanent injury or death due to scuffle amongst my birds in the rooster flock.

WOW! What absolutely STUNNING boys you have! Thank you for sharing