🐓 Roosters 🐓

Any advice on having multiple roosters and making it work?

Comments

  • amyjacobson6
    amyjacobson6 Posts: 17 ✭✭✭

    We tried having multiple roosters once and could not make it work. So, I too, would be interested if anyone has advice on that. :)

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    Hi, we've had a few roosters in the past. It seems there is always a dominate roo, that will keep the other one away. We had enough free range space that the smaller roo could occupy. We have yet to keep them together in the same pasture.

    Good luck. Looking forward to hearing what others have to say.

  • merlin44
    merlin44 Posts: 426 ✭✭✭✭

    My roosters (I have several) live together without problem. They do tend to have their own "territory" where they spend their days. The hens seem to chose the boys they want, sometimes that's a permanent arrangement, though some switch company on a regular basis.

  • David Nelson
    David Nelson Posts: 3 ✭✭✭

    In general multiple roosters for a single flock just isn't practical. Much depends on the flock size and the flock's free area. The smaller the hen count and the smaller the range the less likely that more than one rooster is practical. If your flock is confined e.g. predators can't get them and the space is generous you can always split the flock. Obviously if you've got 4 hens in a back yard I don't see two roosters ever coming to terms. It's a stressful life to be the omega rooster.......

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    We had three roosters and they worked it out, but they were free range and the hens each had their favs. Ralph was a big Buff/Dorking cross and defiantly the alpha. But a few of the girls did seem to like Walter the best. Wiedie was a little silkie we were gifted, he was just too tiny and cute to butcher. We have some older hens who for one reason and another have decided not to go inside to roost, ever. I call them the rebel alliance. They also rejected both the big boys, but they tolerated Wiedie. So he would go into his little tractor at night and we would shut him up but in the morning he would join the rebels and they all were happy. Sadly we had a coyote move into the neighborhood and he killed Ralph and Wiedie both, not that Walter minds. Our experience did show that with the right roos, a sort of peaceful coexistence can be achieved, but the chickens have to work it out for themselves. We did have the chickens divided into flocks of 7 hens per tractor and one rooster in each one at night. In the afternoon they all grazed together. We have 18 new pullets in their own tractor and don't plan on having a rooster with them.