# Roosters alone works well



## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

There have been questions occasionally here about keeping roosters alone, and since now is the time that many who got chicks in late Winter can finally TELL the cockerels from the hens, I thought we could discuss ways to keep them from getting aggressive toward each other. 

We had a problem earlier in the year with this...too many roos, too few hens in the coop. So we took 12 of the roos and gave them a bachelor pad with run. Works really well. The hens in the first coop were :nanner: and are now growing feathers back and running around without fear of being chased.

The roosters are also quite happy. No fights. no aggression. They're in a hoop coop with a run they can't get out of. The actually CAN see the hens but the coops are about 60' apart and it doesn't seem to be an issue. 

A few years ago I had the hens penned in a large (70x70') run, and the excess roos were out free..that time we had roosters constantly trying to get in..even tho their coop was 200' away. They'd just leave in the morning and race toward the henpen. 

Anyone else have ideas or stories about your experiences?


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

We always toss the "meanest" roos out of the pen to run on their own while leaving the "nicer" roo in with the hens. The meanies sleep roosted in the tree or in a dog house with some of the geese.


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## Suzyq2u (May 17, 2010)

my neighbors do this, their hens are penned and the roos free range. They have quite a few roos (I've counted 7+)... seems to work for them, glad you found a good solution


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## Dazlin (Nov 26, 2007)

Sometimes I introduce the roosters when they are younger, and they learn the pecking order. I now have a 4 month old buff cochin roo, who already started mating, in with an older splash roo and hens. When the little buff tries to mate, the splash runs to the rescue. No mean fighting...just teaching him his place. Usually they get along when they grow up together. I always keep an eye for any changes though.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

We have also penned up roosters in such a manner, but never alone. I'd rather seperate a couple of hens than leave a bird alone in a coop. 

As for extra roosters....is there such a thing? I am thinking chicken pie, roast chicken, fried chicken, bbq chicken, curried chicken, chicken wraps, thai chicken, hot wings, etc.

How big are they? 

OUr set up now is that we only have 2 roosters and they free range with our hens all day long. We will let a couple of hens go broody to provide us with chicks, which will then, when big enough either become food or left to become layers.


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## AmberLBowers (Nov 28, 2008)

We are going to have the hens tractored in 100 square foot dog pens that we move daily. Extra roos will be free ranged until invited to supper. It works for a lot of people from what I see.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Olf, I think you misunderstood. The roos aren't each alone..they're all together in a coop...just alone..over there on the other side of the road  Yesterday they were out and about in the sunshine in the run just laying around soaking up warmth 

A couple of them are mighty handsome boys. Trying to find a home for them, but it's kind of hard to do when every farm has a flock and extra roosters


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

We ALWAYS keep a bachelor coop/frat house.
And if the hens are kept a good distance away, there are no fights among the roos.
We raise them out for meat and keep spare roosters (breeding) there too.
And if it is not breeding season we house the roos together and give the hens a break for the winter so they can all go free range together.

Love the separation of the sexes.


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

I also keep my roos separate from the girls in winter because I think they lay better without the stress of the roos trying to breed them, and then in the spring I put the roos with their own hens for purebred hatching eggs. Once the hatching is over I combine them all together and use one of the coops for the young ones. They all freerange and start to mingle by themselves so when winter comes and they all go into 1 coop there's no problems with newbies.


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