Rooster keeping

[BuckeyeHomestead]

Hey all, so I've been doing research, and I know you can house Roo's together with no hens, and they'll be just fine with each other. what I was wondering if that is you have a run for the boys, but they can still see girls sometimes through the fence, or hear them, would that still cause problems with them? and if seeing them would, what about making a fence that they can't see them through, would that then work? thanks

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've always kept them where they can see the hens. The only problem I've had with keeping roosters together is if I try to add more to an established batch. That never worked out.

 

[BuckeyeHomestead]

I've read about that. it seems that if you add younger boys that haven't really started crowing yet that the others will usually let it go after the pecking order has been run through.
do you keep several in a run together?

 

[wrathsfarm]

I've added 3 recently to 3 older. It went pretty good with minimal chasing and harassing at first until they learned their place.

1 side (east) of their run is completely open, long north side is sight blocked for winter and west side is clear shower curtain so they can see the girls.
They do tend to get agitated at times but no major fights break out with an older dominant cockerel in charge.
Younger 3 on left, 2 older in middle, oldest (white) on right.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've read about that. it seems that if you add younger boys that haven't really started crowing yet that the others will usually let it go after the pecking order has been run through.
do you keep several in a run together?

I have. Currently I have none penned. The last batch went in the freezer as there was too much chasing and mating each other.

 

[wrathsfarm]

It really boils down to the individual temperament of each boy. For instance, last year I had 7 boys all growing out within the flock and their 3 yr old Sire.
He doesn't allow any mating in his presence but by 13-14 weeks their too hardwired for him to control especially free ranging so I need to separate them out.
All 7 got along great until one became overly aggressive with non stop harassment with the others. He was the 1st to go and everyone settled down.

You just don't know how good or bad it can get, until it happens.

 

[BuckeyeHomestead]

I see. thanks for telling me all this! I'm working on getting a breeding flock of Black Australorps and was trying to figure out what to do with the boys that I know I'm going to end up with from hatching. I wasn't sure if it would be alright to house them in sight of the girls but y'all cleared that up for me! thanks!

 

[Mrs. K]

and they'll be just fine with each other.

Truth is, you really cannot say that about cockerels and roosters. Sometimes is what you have to think, and plan B when plan A does not quite work.

Sometimes they will be fine together, sometimes they will be fine together until they are not, sometimes it will be a fight, settled and BFF, sometimes they only live to fight again.

If you are keeping multiple roosters, well you need a plan B, set up and ready to go and maybe a....plan C, D, E....

 

[BuckeyeHomestead]

Truth is, you really cannot say that about cockerels and roosters. Sometimes is what you have to think, and plan B when plan A does not quite work.

Sometimes they will be fine together, sometimes they will be fine together until they are not, sometimes it will be a fight, settled and BFF, sometimes they only live to fight again.

If you are keeping multiple roosters, well you need a plan B, set up and ready to go and maybe a....plan C, D, E....

I'm mostly just planning on keeping them till I butcher them or if someone is going to buy some. really, by the time they want to kill each other, I'll be doing it to them. Thank you for saying that though

 

[Mrs. K]

I'm mostly just planning on keeping them till I butcher them or if someone is going to buy some. really, by the time they want to kill each other, I'll be doing it to them

Well, you do have plan B,C,D lined up. So many people think of chickens as pets, and if they just set it up right, they can keep all of them forever. And it is not quite like that.