Sibling Roosters

[Sylie]

Obviously my 2 d'Uccle's are not true sibs but for all intents and purposes, they are brothers, they were hatched the same day and have lived their entire lives together, all 11 and 1/2 weeks of it. Today has been a rough day for all 3 of us, first I tripped, like the gigantic clutz that I am and fell against their cage breaking it, it is not repairable and I have no back up, we are working on getting something together this afternoon, we have something, we just have to finish building it. 
The point is this: They are brothers, have lived together their whole lives and are d'Uccle's which are rumored to be the most docile you can get. Neither of them has been docile, in recent weeks, they have started biting me, they run from me and just now I went to check on them and found the brown one had the white one's comb and was dragging him around by it. The comb is bleeding but not much at all, it's not bleeding bleeding, it is just...capillary bleeding. The brown one also has one cut on his comb but again, just capillary bleeding, no active bleeding going on, I'm not worried about the damage to the combs, I've seen far far worse in my hens.

Do you suppose this will keep up? I mean, yes, they are roosters and roosters fight but I was told that d'uccle roosters rarely fight especially when raised from day one together. Should I cull? I don't know if I actually can do it, I have a thing against taking a life for no GOOD reason (illness that they cannot recover from is different and even then I have problems doing it)

If I should cull, do I do one or both? I have searched for homes for them but can't find anyone that wants them, together or separately. This is farm country and no one wants a chicken that is only good as a pet (and it seems these 2 are not even good for that). 

I may be jumping the gun by considering culling after just one fight but I need to prepare myself if it keeps up, if it doesn't then great but I need time to adapt my brain.

It's just been an awful day all around from wake up to now, this is just the most recent in a string of bad events today. Like I said, I may be jumping the gun or whatever but I need to know if anyone else knows why my roosters are being so horrible.

Right now they are in the same room with a screen divider to keep them from fighting and seem rather happy, they are standing side by side making little chattery noises. At least the brown one has stopped crowing for a bit, we'll see how long it lasts.


Any thoughts?

[nm156]

I had a Roo pack for a little of a year ,then they started getting nasty..They went to the freezer...

[seminolewind]

I have silkie roos that get along. Some breeds are horrible and some are okay. I had 2 Houdan roos that were at eachother's throats the minute they matured.

[Sylie]

I am just completely surprised that I had this issue with them today, it just blows my mind, I was so sure that with their breed and the fact that they have no hens to fight over and have lived together since hatch that they would be fine. After the one fight they settled down and there was no more ruckus and now they are in the same pen together sleeping, I'll be watching them tomorrow. I hope it doesn't continue.

[dawg53]

They are fighting for dominance over the other. Yes, even as brothers, there's a pecking order among roosters. All roosters do it. It might take time for them to fight it out, but one will eventually be submissive to the other.
Whether you cull or not is up to you.

[Sylie]

The white one is submissive to the brown (white being porcelain and brown being mille fleur ), always has been because he's smaller I assume. The porcelain doesn't fight back he just tries to find somewhere to hide his head (which wasn't so successful) I think the mille fleur is just a huge bully

[seminolewind]

As long as one backs down it seems to work.

[maryellen]

Yep, what karen said. If neither back down then they will keep fighting. But- make sure the more dominant one doesnt bully the other one for no reason. Normal pecking order is fine, but out and out terrorizing should not be tolerated

[Sylie]

I haven't let them be alone with each other since the big fight, when they are out of their pen running around I separate them with a screen so they still see each other, talk to each other, lay down and nap side by side with the screen between them etc and then when they are in the pen together, they don't fight or peck each other at all, it's only when they are out that the mille goes straight for the porcelain's comb every time, I cannot trust them to be alone together. I am looking for a new home, hopefully with bantam hens, for the mille and possibly for the porcelain too, I'd like to keep the porcelain myself but he would not want to be away from the mille I'm sure. Can a chicken be single? I mean, can I keep just the one by himself or would that be cruel? Even if I spend all my time with him? I would teach him to follow me and stay close so he can go on my chores with me etc. Or is that not a good idea? He rarely crows, he's a bit shy but I know when I've ticked him off cuz he pecks me. Not bite, just jabs me with his beak.

[chickenqueen]

Sure,you never know until you try and each chicken is different.I've had more than one chicken prefer human company over the flock over the years.

[Sylie]

Awesome, maybe I'll give it a try.

[chickenqueen]

Never,ever let a roo be aggressive with you in any way,shape or form.If you don't stop it early,it only gets worse.Ever been flogged?I have.It ripped my jeans about 6"and left me bloody as it ran up my back.They can really hurt someone,especially a small child.Those spurs are sharp weapons and they know how to use them and they really start developing at about a year old(fyi-there are several ways to remove the spurs.I take a pair of pliers and grab the spur at the base.I give it a 1/4-1/2 turn,until I feel it give.Then repeat the other way and it will pull right off.There is a soft white "core" under there.You're actually removing a thin outer shell,like a fingernail.It will bleed so don't freak out.If the bleeding seems excessive or it worries you,cornstarch will stop the bleeding.It doesn't seem to be really painful,or I wouldn't do it or recommend it.Some people use hot potatoes, I guess to soften the skin,but I never have.When done,clean with 1/2 strength Hydrogen peroxide,blot dry and apply a thick coat of antibiotic ointment.I don't wrap it but you could.He should be good to go but do keep an eye on it the next few days.It eventually grows back.Removing the spurs also reduces possible injuries to the hens.When in doubt,there's you tube videos on this method and other ways.)Sometimes they can be rehabbed,some can't.Some roosters are born just plain evil.If you do rehab him into a companion,you may end up with him not being able to function in or with the rest of the chickens if you wanted to put him back out.On the other hand,he could become dog-like and you and the kids could teach him tricks.I've ever been able to housebreak one but they do make chicken diapers Sorry to ramble but I'm doing posts in between outside chores,they longer I'm on a post,the longer the break from the sun.LOL

[Sylie]

I've never had roosters beyond a couple of months old so no, I've never been flogged. Doesn't sound like something I want to experience either lol. But, these are d'uccles, running up my back would be fairly difficult lol. only the Mille is aggressive (except on the highly rare occasion that I tick off the porcelain, he's very very mild mannered). If I keep the porcelain then he will definitely be a house chicken. I do not have any other bantams and I won't put him in with my barred rocks, they'll eat him as a snack so no hens to worry about and no small children anywhere in the area that would have access to him, my yard is fenced and the only children on the block live behind us and are ALWAYS supervised by their parents (I'm kind of amazed actually). Also, they are already house chickens, I put them in the yard only briefly each day after they have finished their morning crowing session. Otherwise, they are in the house in a spare bedroom that I converted for a chicken hospital and chick brooder room plus 2 of my cats live in there, they just like the space I guess lol they come and go as they please from the room but stay in there most of the time by their own choice and have never ever bothered any chicken that I've had in there.

If necessary, I will attempt to remove his spurs but I won't try unless he starts using them on me or the other animals (he would have access to cats and my gigantic dog who will eat him before he ever gets a chance to use them on him). But I kinda feel like removing his spurs is similar to removing a dogs dewclaw, I won't do that either unless they become an issue. The Mille is the evil one, the porcelain is relatively sweet. I just made a mistake raising them and didn't hold them as often as I should have.

[chickenqueen]

You got house chickens!!!I've been chuckling over that,I've had them,too.I quit doing that but 2 hens insist on laying their eggs in my big dirty laundry basket and the roo likes to come in for special treats but they go back out.Plus,it's better for my marriage this way.LOL

[Sylie]

Yeah, my husband is pretty insistent on my getting rid of both, it may come down to him or the chickens...hmmmm....

[boskelli1571]

Jun 27, 2018 14:42:50 GMT -5 Sylie said:

Obviously my 2 d'Uccle's are not true sibs but for all intents and purposes, they are brothers, they were hatched the same day and have lived their entire lives together, all 11 and 1/2 weeks of it. Today has been a rough day for all 3 of us, first I tripped, like the gigantic clutz that I am and fell against their cage breaking it, it is not repairable and I have no back up, we are working on getting something together this afternoon, we have something, we just have to finish building it. 
The point is this: They are brothers, have lived together their whole lives and are d'Uccle's which are rumored to be the most docile you can get. Neither of them has been docile, in recent weeks, they have started biting me, they run from me and just now I went to check on them and found the brown one had the white one's comb and was dragging him around by it. The comb is bleeding but not much at all, it's not bleeding bleeding, it is just...capillary bleeding. The brown one also has one cut on his comb but again, just capillary bleeding, no active bleeding going on, I'm not worried about the damage to the combs, I've seen far far worse in my hens.

Do you suppose this will keep up? I mean, yes, they are roosters and roosters fight but I was told that d'uccle roosters rarely fight especially when raised from day one together. Should I cull? I don't know if I actually can do it, I have a thing against taking a life for no GOOD reason (illness that they cannot recover from is different and even then I have problems doing it)

If I should cull, do I do one or both? I have searched for homes for them but can't find anyone that wants them, together or separately. This is farm country and no one wants a chicken that is only good as a pet (and it seems these 2 are not even good for that). 

I may be jumping the gun by considering culling after just one fight but I need to prepare myself if it keeps up, if it doesn't then great but I need time to adapt my brain.

It's just been an awful day all around from wake up to now, this is just the most recent in a string of bad events today. Like I said, I may be jumping the gun or whatever but I need to know if anyone else knows why my roosters are being so horrible.

Right now they are in the same room with a screen divider to keep them from fighting and seem rather happy, they are standing side by side making little chattery noises. At least the brown one has stopped crowing for a bit, we'll see how long it lasts.


Any thoughts?

When I had several D'Uccle roos they all seemed to pick on one little guy, I was able to find him a home. As you are finding out they can and do fight, George my current D'Uccle roo has attitude at times and he takes it out on me occasionally.
It sounds like the divided pen is working well for them, wait until the victim heals and try again, but don't expect miracles...

[Sylie]

They are already back together, as long as they are in their "coop" (a jumbo sized wire dog crate in the spare bedroom) they don't fight, it's only when they are out running around the room "free range" or out in the actual outside yard that they fight. I put the divider up in the spare room while they are out and it seems to work pretty well, they are happy.

Funny that your d'Uccle roo is named George, That's my porcelain d'Uccle's name too hahaha. (He was named Opal until I found out he was a he and not a her)

[seminolewind]

these are siblings and stepdad.  they got along but both died of marek's at 8months old.  they were not vaccinated .  they were "oops" babies

[duckrunner]

Jul 2, 2018 13:57:36 GMT -5 chickenqueen said:

Never,ever let a roo be aggressive with you in any way,shape or form.If you don't stop it early,it only gets worse.Ever been flogged?I have.It ripped my jeans about 6"and left me bloody as it ran up my back.They can really hurt someone,especially a small child.Those spurs are sharp weapons and they know how to use them and they really start developing at about a year old(fyi-there are several ways to remove the spurs.I take a pair of pliers and grab the spur at the base.I give it a 1/4-1/2 turn,until I feel it give.Then repeat the other way and it will pull right off.There is a soft white "core" under there.You're actually removing a thin outer shell,like a fingernail.It will bleed so don't freak out.If the bleeding seems excessive or it worries you,cornstarch will stop the bleeding.It doesn't seem to be really painful,or I wouldn't do it or recommend it.Some people use hot potatoes, I guess to soften the skin,but I never have.When done,clean with 1/2 strength Hydrogen peroxide,blot dry and apply a thick coat of antibiotic ointment.I don't wrap it but you could.He should be good to go but do keep an eye on it the next few days.It eventually grows back.Removing the spurs also reduces possible injuries to the hens.When in doubt,there's you tube videos on this method and other ways.)Sometimes they can be rehabbed,some can't.Some roosters are born just plain evil.If you do rehab him into a companion,you may end up with him not being able to function in or with the rest of the chickens if you wanted to put him back out.On the other hand,he could become dog-like and you and the kids could teach him tricks.I've ever been able to housebreak one but they do make chicken diapers Sorry to ramble but I'm doing posts in between outside chores,they longer I'm on a post,the longer the break from the sun.LOL


you sure are right CQ, I remember when I was about 6 we had a roo named bad-man (don’t get the idea I named him that) and he was pure EVIL. He runs after you like a little demon, then attacks. Anyway, I was feeding him as I had a soft spot for him, then he RAN. He stabbed me, but it wasn’t deep. It bled though. My dad sold him. I never saw him again but I still wonder is he’s alive today.

[seminolewind]

My one poor hen has always grown spurs and has frequently been found hanging upside down with a spur caught in the fence. Then she hangs there with her eyes closed looking dead.