Cockerel v. Roo and the antics therein

(This maybe should go in advice needed? I need advice on if I should put it in advice! Oh fail...(

When I discovered I had 2 roos in the final flock, I made the decision to put the bigger one in the pot once the little one... well, got bigger. I had hoped I would find someone to learn, hands on, how to slay a chicken humanely and swiftly as I'm too afraid to get it wrong the first time around if I do it by myself. I think I still have a while yet, so here's the behavior I'm seeing come up...

In the past couple days, I've noted bottom-of-the-totem-pole young cockerel (who we'll call the Bachelor for the sake of ease of reference) has started to grip the hens by the back of the head as Wannachukanegg (big roo) does when he mounts them oh-so-gracefully (not so much), however this ends up in a pecking war between Bachelor and hen with ruffled neck feathers, high posture and flailing feet. This fight is subsequently broken up by Wannachukanegg, who lowers his wings and stomps his feet after he has broken up the fight.

This morning, The Bachelor made it with the small black and gold feathered hen with the white ears that I have. She started laying about 4 days ago (long, skinny, oval eggs), and I assume that's irrelevant, but he suddenly started some kind of stow away relationship with her. What I witnessed was both hilarious and then terrifying. While Bachelor had stowed away to do his thing, Wannachukanegg, busy clucking about food he found, seemed to note one hen didn't come-a-runnin, turned around and there was a brief (maybe 3-5 seconds) where he stared angrily at the goings-on across the coop. That humoured me, and just as I started to snicker, he was across the coop feet, wings and neck feathers flying, the hen pecking at both boys, and the Bachelor ended up beneath Wannachukanegg being stomped on screaming all the while. I broke this up.

I suppose my question is: how long do I have before this becomes a cock fighting show that I'm not making money on? I don't want it to get there, but I also don't want to pot Wannachukanegg until a) I've found some guidance and/or have someone with me and b) until bachelor is fertile. I'd like to have some eggs hatch out as I have a couple reeeeeally broody hens. Once the freezing temperatures are mostly gone, I wanted to let them hatch a few eggs. He's still very small, especially in comparison to Wannachukanegg, and he's the smallest bird in the flock... All of this and I don't even know how old he is. He was "The Last Hatch" from the not-so-great breeder I got him from so I don't even know what that means. He's probably from the same hatch as the small hen he's been making it with, and she is juuuuust starting to lay. I don't know if its "I can mate so I'm fertile" or if blanks are something chickens can shoot as well (I tried to be tender, I suck at that).

I look forward to whatever anyone thinks.

What is the age difference between the two? Have they always been raised together since the cockeral was a chick or was he added in later?I find that sometimes if they were raised as a chick with an older roo they seem to get along as the older roo remains the dominant male. I also have it gone the other way where two roos never got along and there was constant fighting. Do you have another roo who is more docile and tolerant. You may want to try putting your younger roo with him. I found it a crap shoot trying several males together until I found the ones that could live together. I also have two males who will not tolerate any competition. (As sweet as they are) they just loves there own girls. As long as you have enough coop space try to make it work or someone goes.

I honestly don't know their age difference. I think I have 3 age ranges in my flock, but I'm not very good with these things and he was very vague (guy I bought them from). I didn't really care about their ages, to be honest, I was just looking forward to the eggs.

I have a few large hens which are bigger than the rest of the group (including the big roo), a batch of mediums which are big roo's size and then 3 small birds that are 2 hens and the Bachelor. Both of the small hens juuust started laying, one within the past 5 days and the other for the past week and a half. Their eggs are still oddly shaped, elongated little things which I've read is what happens to new-to-laying hens.

Thanks for the advice, WC. They were raised together, but the roosters at the farm I bought them from were always fighting eachother. There's 2 roos and 11 hens in my group right now. There were 12, but I just recently lost one.

I have 2 rhode island roos raised together. Now almost 1yr old. Exactly the same monster size & temperament. Their reproductive & protective instincts are fiercely intense. They'd always been perfectly content with each other, joined at the hip at all times. A few months ago out of the blue say at about 9-10 months old they started viciously fighting. I wondered if they needed more space but when left to roam the yard it was more intense, climbing on each other, going for the kill. They severed each others combs. So there were blood splatters in the coop for a few days. Then after a matter of days maybe a week it resolved. Hasn't happened since. Combs are now healed, like new. Still best buddies. Seems like a 'teenage' phase they had to get out of their system. I now don't see one more dominant than the other. So my feeling is a bit of time and supervision when possible to ensure the damage isn't too bad may be best to let them sort it out.

I have raised many pet roo, meaning from the time they are hatched I have kept them with me in my home and handled them during the day before they get old enough to go into the coop. I try to keep cockerels together for as long as they will allow.

I have learned that there is no golden rule to this problem. It comes down to the roo's own decision on the matter of what he will allow from a rival roo.

I keep polish and houdan. I have an EE roo that is going on four who will easily tolerate another roo as long as the other roo doesn't start something first. This EE roo has his main hens and he will leave the other roo tackle the rest.
Having said that, I have an older Polish roo,3 years, who is kept with a kid polish just turning 1 year and I'm going through the same thing you are. The moment the youngster trys it on with a hen and the older one sees it, GAME ON! The older one will fly at the youngster and knock him off and chase the heck out of him. Thankfully, neither has hurt themselves because they loose sight of each other due to their poms.

I have only been fortunate once to have a pair of houdan roos that found a balance of hen share. They would roo off and face each other, throw themselves in the air feet going. THey would do this, stop and turn and start walking alongside each other, clucking like two old buddies out for a beer.