Carol : I have question about roosters. I have a rooster who’s 9 years old. He’s a good boy, protective of the hens and always clucks for them to eat. I hatched some eggs last October and I have a young rooster. So far he’s the low man on the totem pole. Arnold (the old guy) just looks at him and he runs away. If I go by Gary he also jumps away. He’s bigger than Arnold but so far hasn’t figured that out. Will the two fight? I’ve been told different things, that if a rooster is raised from chicks that they blend in better with the flock which keeps fighting to a minimum. But others have said that once the young rooster is mature he’ll start fighting. What’s your opinion? Any suggestions? Will they fight?
My Reply : They won’t necessarily fight. As he has grown up in the flock there already is a pecking order established which should help. Many single flocks do have multiple roosters – it seems less likely to be an issue when there is plenty of space and plenty of hens (on average 10 or more hens for every 1 rooster). Some roosters are naturally aggressive but yours don’t sound like they are the sort that would go looking for a fight. If a challenge is made in the future, as long they can agree on the pecking order they should still be able to continue to live happily together afterwards.
I have a young rooster and I’m holding him daily, laying him in my lap and talking to him…gently pushing his head down and petting him for dominance…any other taming ideas. I love having a rooster, I’ve had one great experience and one horrible.
As long as Gary is young and submissive, all will probably be well, but when he finds that hens are his next move, Arnold may not permit this and start an attack on Gary. Maybe it won’t happen, if they have enough room? Just have to wait and see. “Taming” is nice, IF IT WORKS. Always worth trying, as sometimes it seems to work well. Chickens are individuals and predictions are not assured. Good luck.
My Wyandotte rooster, Mr. T, ruled the flock for 5 years. However, just this year, his son, who just came into his full “rooster-hood”, one day decided to roust his father out of the leadership position. They seem to have switched places in the flock hierarchy, all having accepted this new development without further conflict.