Do I Keep the Rooster with the new flock?

[MoffatChicken]

Hi, simple question but I don't have the experience to know the answer. I have a rooster who has been a great protector, I have witnessed him get the flock away from a fox, coyote and numerous hawk attacks without a hen lost. But his flock was only 6 hens, and now down to 4 as 2 of them were culled because of space and health issues. I have an new flock with 8 hens and 5 roosters (only 6 months old) being raised in the same area.

My plan is to move the older hens along to make room for newer layers but question is do i keep the older rooster? or keep one of the newer ones in the same flock as the new hens?

 

[BantammChick]

You shouldn't have 5 standard size roosters together..they will start to fight.I have 3 standard size roosters, but they are free range, except for at night. Are your chickens free range?

 

[DobieLover]

I'd keep the older, experienced rooster.

 

[Doristheroo]

I would keep the older roo. I would slowly introduce the new hens

 

[50-45-1]

If you have a good rooster who is not aggresive to people and is good to his hens, you should keep him.
Its not always easy to aquire one like him.

 

[MoffatChicken]

You shouldn't have 5 standard size roosters together..they will start to fight.I have 3 standard size roosters, but they are free range, except for at night. Are your chickens free range?

There are 5 right now but I wasn't planning to keep them all thought the winter. I was going to keep just one if i didn't keep the older rooster. They free ranger in a 1600 sqft fenced in area

 

[RollTideChicken]

How old is the old boy? If he's not "old" I think you should keep him.

 

[50-45-1]

You only need one rooster for the amount of hens you have. If you keep one of the younger birds he will have to learn everything your seasoned rooster already knows.
Your older rooster knows the yard and property, knows the preditors you have and watches out for them. Your younger bird will have to learn all of this.
As you can tell i am rooting for the old boy. When you told me how many times he has saved your hens i knew you had a very good one.
Now if you do keep one of the younger birds pick one that seams like he might get along with your older one. I dont know the likleyhood of that but he could learn from the old boy before you rehome your mature one.

 

[BantammChick]

There are 5 right now but I wasn't planning to keep them all thought the winter. I was going to keep just one if i didn't keep the older rooster. They free ranger in a 1600 sqft fenced in area

I think you should keep the old rooster

 

[Chickassan]

If you have a good rooster who is not aggresive to people and is good to his hens, you should keep him.
Its not always easy to aquire one like him.

This times a million! Don't fix what isn't broken to begin with.