Well, we knew we were pushing the ratio with 4 roosters and 15 hens. We doubled up on roosters with our last order of chicks so that we could cull and choose two. Had our first cockfight Saturday and it wasn't too awful but they continued to pick on the injured guy so he is now secluded in "chicken hospital" and doing well.

So we were thinking it's high time to weed the 4 down to 2. However, I was skimming Gale Damerow's book last night and it said that ironically, 2 roosters will provoke more fighting than having 3 or more. Interesting theory but it doesn't explain much about why. What are your theories and personal experiences? We have had too many roosters many times in the past but never had a single cockfight. I tend to think it's an individual personality more than anything else. The aggressor in our fight was also the same day old chick that ran around the brooder beating everybody up as soon as we got them home from the post office! Unfortunately, he would be our choice for breeding based on his looks and confirmation but it seems he is now the most obvious candidate to go.(?) If he's that aggressive, won't he just keep at it and try to be the only guy in town?

It's hard to know what to do. I don't think we can get rid of the rooster that is currently beat up and it seems such a waste to cull him. I'm considering just separating him and sort of rotating the roosters with the flock. Damerow suggests this also but I'm not quite sure how that would work out.

What are your thoughts, oh wise chicken-fanciers? ;-)

Susie

We have three bantam roosters in the barn, but there is lots of room to escape when someone decides to reassert himself. One rootster is clearly the top kick. Once in a while #2 will try for the title, but always loses. The third place rooster keeps his distance and runs at the first show of hostility. For quite a long time he roomed with the ducks because he was accepted there. I think the rule is that if there is lots of room, you can have more than one rooster. With limited space, one is the limit. Rotating is a good idea. If you have a roomy pen in which one of the roosters can spend some time with a couple of hens, that would help the situation.