Cockerel society

[chickenfan]

I am very new to cockerels, but have reared several this year in different broods. With hens, I know it is important to always keep them with a companion/s from the same brood. How does this apply to cockerels? I have two related birds together (brother and sister) and another brother and sister together that are related. There haven't been any other hens in these broods. If I now put the unrelated cockerel with each hen, I'm not sure how this will work out socially. I presume if I mix them all together and put leg rings to indicate the related ones, the two cockerels that don't know each other will fight? Or do I put the two cockerels without the hens together, and the two hens that don't know each other together?

I'm not sure how things would have originally worked out before they became domesticated.

 

[KittyKat]

The two cockerels are extremely likely to fight if they have been separated previously (regardless of whether they are related or not). For related cockerels, how likely they are to fight depends on the breed and available space.

All chickens can be mixed with unrelated hens without problems assuming that you are properly preparing them for mixing and they have enough space, but there will be pecking order disputes and the corresponding resolutions.

In the wild, the lone cockerels would band together, from what I understand, but then they would also have unlimited space to get away from aggressors.

 

[chickenfan]

So are cockerels basically happy to live with any hens they don't know?

I think sibling hens form such strong bonds, especially if it is a small brood, that they should always be kept together.

What is socially best to do with a single pullet that has only grown up with a related brother?

 

[Marigold]

It depends whether you intend to hatch any eggs from the pair, I suppose. Chickens don't have social taboos against brother-sister incest like we do!

I agree that pairs of hens often seem to form a close bond, but this doesn't depend on them being brood mates. Any two pullets you get at PoL and keep together in quarantine for a week or so will form a bond which stands them in good stead when they joint the older flock, and seems to last a long time. On the other hand, if you sold some pullets to split a brood, they will then form new bonds with any other suitable birds they come across, I can't see a problem in doing this, so long as they can bond with others of roughly the same age if they are youngsters who might be bullied by older birds.
It would be a bit restrictive if all chicken breeders had to keep all their hatches together for their whole lives, wouldn't it?

 

[chickenfan]

That's good news Marigold. But don't forget Breeders hatch in bulk, so you are usually choosing from the same brood, even if it is one of several hundred. I've heard a single hen separated from its brood never does as well. I made a mistake last year of keeping a brother and sister together for ages, and that hen has never adapted as well to living with other hens. I want to avoid this mistake again with the broods that have only had one hen.

I'm guessing a cockerel is happy with any new hens and goes through less trauma if there is a change.

 

[chrismahon]

We have found that cockerels will sometimes strongly bond with a favourite hen and unfortunately that usually ends up with her being badly trodden and the other hens not trodden, so bad news for breeding. We had to separate Frankie, a Wyandotte cockerel, from his favourite hen, which was a buff Orpington. Frankie spent stressed 6 weeks just staring across the Orchard at her in another pen, desperately looking for a way through the fence to her, before finally accepting she wasn't coming back. He died of an apparent heart attack a few months later. Merlin, another Wyandotte cockerel, bonded with Bumble, a Wyandotte hen attacked and injured later by a fox (as he was). He never left her side staying close next to her during her recovery and when she finally died a year later he spent weeks searching the coop and enclosure for her. When we moved and he arrived here without her I think he realised she had gone forever and he started to go downhill. No apparent illness- we treated him for everything we could think of. It seems he just lost the will to live and died a month or so later.

So don't assume that all cockerels go through less trauma if there is a change Chickenfan. I think some may go through far more. In future favourite hens will stay and be fitted with a saddle.

 

[chickenfan]

Chris thankyou, very interesting about the strong bonds. I'm so sorry about Frankie and Bumble's losses. They are amazing creatures aren't they with strong emotions that aren't generally recognised.

I have two cockerels (who had no pullets in the brood) who have always been close, but one is now chasing the other around and not letting it into the house at night. He has just started crowing and they live in a separate pen near some hens. I presume I now need to separate these, although I had planned to keep them together away from any hens over winter. If you were picking one of the two for breeding, do you thing the 'top' cockerel is likely to be more aggressive with people as well? They are both huge Marans - which is perhaps not the best breed for a beginner.

 

[chrismahon]

Difficult to say Chickenfan. In our recent experience we had two bantam Leghorns together. The top cockerel was downright dangerous and would attack for the slightest reason. We only kept him to keep the smaller brother company. Last spring they fought and the little one, who had grown a lot and caught up his brother, overthrew the nasty one and became top. They could no longer stay together because of the fighting and subsequent damage, so they were separated in sight of each other and later the nasty one later despatched. 'Littlest' ,as we call him, remains a lovely friendly cockerel. That is the sort of nature we want to breed.

I'm not sure what to suggest in your case. An aggressive cockerel is certainly needed for true free ranging to fight off attackers, but in smaller secure areas that trait is not required. The top cockerel may be better able to control his hens and therefore more reliable for breeding. Perhaps you will need to wait and see how they are with you in Spring, which is when they are most aggressive. Obviously one that attacks you has got to go.

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you Chris. So if I remove them to a place with no hens anywhere nearby, should they get on as friends again? They have been close siblings up to now.

 

[chrismahon]

Probably Chickenfan. Ours were surrounded by hens so that's the trigger for them to fight.

A cockerel will invite his hens to lay in his coop. You will often see him take the lead and even go into the nest box and scratch around to encourage a hen to lay. The top cockerel will want his coop to himself in the presence of hens I think- no room for a rival. So without hens they should want each others company.

 

[chickenfan]

Great news, thankyou. The lower status cockerel is currently alone in a coop amongst my adult hens until I get my new pen sorted. They all rushed up to meet him, so perhaps he is going to be a cockerel the hens like.