# Two Cockerels???



## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

Hi can two Cockerels live together...they have quite a large Area where they are free to wander..in total we will have about 15 hens and and will have two Cockerels

Juliex


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## chickenrun (Jan 31, 2010)

hi 
I would recommend if you are having two cockerels i would get two that have been brought up together from chicks.

If you get two cockerels that dont know each other they will fight and can fight till death

mitch


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## RachyBobs (Oct 18, 2009)

I personally wouldnt. I had a batch of chicks out the incubator last year and I had 3 cockrels in that. They fight over females and it can be very nasty. I ended up with 3 very bloody cockrels and 1 doesnt look good. I am trying to give them away at current but I know were they will end up


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

Cheers ...i will have to now convince the OH thats its not a good idea

Juliex


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## Hells_Bells (Jun 12, 2009)

If you have quite a large area you really should be ok!

Also - Depends what breeds you are looking at getting. I've had trouble with a few, Copper Maran was the worst, nasty sod! 

I have a heap of cockerels here, some spend time in breeding pens for a few months then all free range together, I get a few dust ups now & then, then they sort it out & get on with it! I also randomly introduce new ones when they come my way & generally find they'll keep out of the way of the old guard till they've settled.

Another idea is put two houses in their area, then they can choose to sleep apart if they don't like each other much!

15 hens is plenty for 2 cockerels - are you planning on breeding? You will probably need more than one for 15 hens if you are.

Good luck.


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

Hells_Bells said:


> If you have quite a large area you really should be ok!
> 
> Also - Depends what breeds you are looking at getting. I've had trouble with a few, Copper Maran was the worst, nasty sod!
> 
> ...


At the moment we have two coops and the hubbie is converting an old dog kennel into one also so that would be three...

Originally we didn't have a cockerel the one we have now just turned up one day...he is very timid for a cockerel he will not come anywhere near us. not sure why...the ones we are getting tomorrow are Marrans ...we have a white Susex and the rest are lohman browns....not sure about the breeding part of it....would not like it if we ended up will loads of Cockerels 

Juliex


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## Hells_Bells (Jun 12, 2009)

Just turned up...??????

Really?

Sounds like someone dumped him in your chicken run. Cockerels don't just turn up! He's probably timid because he's young? How big are his spurs?

I'm confused though, you say 'he' turned up then said the 'ones' you are getting tomorrow - so are you getting 3? 

If you are getting Maran cockerels - they can be narky! It won't be each other they'll go for, it will be you, and when your back is turned. They fly at you and drum their feet at your legs using their spurs to do some right damage! I have a Cream Legbar cockerel who is scrawney as you like, but comes at you with his neck out giving it big spuds (I just toe him away)

If you're mixing new chickens with existing ones you might have to separate them for a few days anyway as the girls will fight & some will get bullied too!


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

Hells_Bells said:


> Just turned up...??????
> 
> Really?
> 
> ...


I would say he is fully grown now as he has been with us for about 12 months or so..prior to him turning up my husband had been told there was a few wandering about where our gardens are as people had threw them out

My husband has arranged to get 5 new girls and one Cockerel tomorrow..he has said he is going to lock the existing ones back in their pen and let the new ones roam in the other half for a week or so ...then they will be able to see each other but not get at each other,

This is him...picture taken about 12 months ago


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## Hells_Bells (Jun 12, 2009)

Classic Copper Maran!!!!!!
Be thankful he's scared of you!
This is the exact bird I was talking about that I had who was EEEEEEEVIL. There was even a thread on another poultry forum where people were queuing up to post how nasty their boy marans were!

Good luck with mixing them all together, you sound like you have enough space to juggle them around - Also, if cockerels do have a scrap, the wounds will often look worse than they are seeing as the comb and wattles contain a lot of blood and bleed easily & profusely. I had a cockerel who looked like he'd been shot in the face once, when I cleaned him up he had two nicks to his comb!


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

Hells_Bells said:


> Classic Copper Maran!!!!!!
> Be thankful he's scared of you!
> This is the exact bird I was talking about that I had who was EEEEEEEVIL. There was even a thread on another poultry forum where people were queuing up to post how nasty their boy marans were!
> 
> Good luck with mixing them all together, you sound like you have enough space to juggle them around - Also, if cockerels do have a scrap, the wounds will often look worse than they are seeing as the comb and wattles contain a lot of blood and bleed easily & profusely. I had a cockerel who looked like he'd been shot in the face once, when I cleaned him up he had two nicks to his comb!


Cheers... Thank god he is not a bad arse...we did say if he was aggressive he would have to go.. he is huge now:scared: :scared:...
So fingers crossed the new one wont be a bad one....otherwise he will have to go   cant take the risk as i have a 8 year old daughter

Juliex


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## paddyjulie (May 9, 2009)

Well ....picked them up today..and the Cockerel is huge..bigger than the one we have...but the people did say he is not aggressive..they had no bother catching him and he was stroking him while he had him under his arem

Its strange watching how the resident hens reacted when i let the new ones loose...they all went into a corner huddled up together with their cockerel ..one of the hens(light susex) was laying on the ground under him...The original Cockerel made no attempt to get out of his Pen to get at the new one.....there was a lot of cocker-dodle-dos and fluffing up of feathers from both of them but that was about it..so keep fingers crossed 

Juliex


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