[demonfarmer2630]

I made the mistake of leaving my 3 pekin males in with my hens all has been well till today they have been together for over a year since they were chicks now one has been injured and blood has gone all over there house so they are all separated not an easy thing to do so now I have to offer all 3 free to anyone who wants them or even one of them they a pekin bantums so if you want one please let me know asap or I'm afraid I will have to end them I really want them to go to a home separate unless you have separate pens I know I should have known better and separated them earlier and I hate my self for not doing it earlier

[in the hills]

We often find that our cockerels have a couple of little fights at this time of year .... spring on its way! They are sorting out the pecking order. Fights here have never been serious but the birds are not confined (free range in the day) and we have several coops. Some cockerels have moved out by their own choice into a different coop and then returned when things have settled down  . Some of our pekin cockerels that lived in separate coops have even moved in together with one cockerel leaving his hens on their own.  If birds are confined it maybe different as they can't get out of each others way and can't forget their quarrel. Also a wefare issue if too many cockerels to hens ... they will over tread and damage them.

Sometimes it seems a lot of blood but is not serious as their combs have good blood supplies and seem to bleed a lot but not necessarily a bad injury.

One cockerel per coop is probably easiest and safest in many ways but I know several people that keep more than one pekin cockerel in a coop with few problems .... once they have sorted the pecking order. These people either let birds free range in the day or have large runs and also have plenty of hens per cockerel .... welfare of both cockerels and hens. So don't feel bad about it ... you are not the only one who keeps more than one cockerel and often it is okay. Watch your birds they may have sorted things out and settle down now, if not hope you find homes for them. 

[demonfarmer2630]

The one who had the fight has a tare in his combe and is barely eating and drinking dosnt have much strength to do much so I'm keeping him near the house and feeding him water with a dropper he is starting to get his strength back but lost a lot of blood last night need the 2 other boys gone soon

[in the hills]

  that he makes it.

Sounds more serious than our 'fights'.

[demonfarmer2630]

He has made it he is doing OK now 

[doganjo]

Why does he stay and the other two have to go?      He might have started it and they ganged up to defend themselves  .

[demonfarmer2630]

The one wasn't in the run he was separate at the time

[Roxy]

I have a lot of cockerels free ranging - need to round them up and get them gone.  A couple have started in the last few days, having a do with each other - yet most of them do get on fine.  I have a Pekin cockerel and he is a feisty little thing, and can sort out the bigger birds.  I have noticed an increase in crowing lately, all seem to be seeing who has the loudest voice.

[in the hills]

Glad he is doing okay   

Yep, mine crowing more for the last couple of weeks too.

Pekins are all very feisty. Our RIR cockerel, Pete, keeps them all in check though. 

[suziequeue]

We have three cockerels and 21 hens. They are all together at night but free range during that day and have their own little groups although there is some "sharing"on occasion!!


I haven't noticed them fighting but I do make sure that their spurs are kept in check. We have de-spurred our big Maran boy already this year and the other two cockerels haven't got spurs yet but they are a year younger than the Maran.

[robbiegrant]

Hi Martin
Hope you are well and your Cockerel is better now.
All the best
Robbie

[Marches Farmer]

I run the cockerels individually and separate from the hens for most of the year, just keeping the two best unrelated cockerels of each breed through the Winter and selecting the best to run with the hens three weeks before I need fertile eggs for the incubators.  As soon as I've set the eggs for the last hatch of the summer they get separated again. I house them where they can see and hear other poultry but not other cockerels - they'd spend the whole day strutting their stuff and forgetting to eat if they could!