Intro Hens to Rooster

[ShianRainDrop]

Hello all.

I have a move in rooster (Rhode Island Red) that I have been taking care of for a little under a year. I would guess that he is probably getting close to two years old. I have 9 5-6 week old RIR chicks. I have a fully closed in coop and am almost done building their run. They are getting too big for their brooder and since spring is starting where I live, I figured it might be okay to go ahead and move the girls to the coop? I was thinking I'd just leave them in there for 2 weeks or so in order for them to get used to it as their home (while not letting my rooster in with them yet). I was then planning on letting them out into the run once it's finished so they can start to explore and get used to the outside. Also hoping that my rooster will get used to them being there. It has been suggested to me that I wait to introduce my rooster, Colonel Sanders...Lol!, to them until they are closer to his size so he doesn't hurt them. When can I expect they will be big enough to handle him doing his "rooster business" without them getting injured? I'm kind of afraid he will turn mean and I can definitely say that if he does, he will be finding a new home. He's always been free range so it will be an adjustment to him also when putting him in the coop/run, I'm guessing?

Thank you so much in advance for your advice!

I've also added a few photos of my coop/run in progress. And one of the girls, and then Colonel Sanders. I think we went way overkill with the coop but we are first timers so I'm calling it okay to give the feather fam a chicken mansion.

 

[Wezdin]

Beautiful rooster! If possible I would keep them separated till about a few weeks before point of lay. to an extent the rooster dosen't care how old they are, and a big full size rooster would be too much for them.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello all.

I have a move in rooster (Rhode Island Red) that I have been taking care of for a little under a year. I would guess that he is probably getting close to two years old. I have 9 5-6 week old RIR chicks. I have a fully closed in coop and am almost done building their run. They are getting too big for their brooder and since spring is starting where I live, I figured it might be okay to go ahead and move the girls to the coop? I was thinking I'd just leave them in there for 2 weeks or so in order for them to get used to it as their home (while not letting my rooster in with them yet). I was then planning on letting them out into the run once it's finished so they can start to explore and get used to the outside. Also hoping that my rooster will get used to them being there. It has been suggested to me that I wait to introduce my rooster, Colonel Sanders...Lol!, to them until they are closer to his size so he doesn't hurt them. When can I expect they will be big enough to handle him doing his "rooster business" without them getting injured? I'm kind of afraid he will turn mean and I can definitely say that if he does, he will be finding a new home. He's always been free range so it will be an adjustment to him also when putting him in the coop/run, I'm guessing?

Thank you so much in advance for your advice!

I've also added a few photos of my coop/run in progress. And one of the girls, and then Colonel Sanders. I think we went way overkill with the coop but we are first timers so I'm calling it okay to give the feather fam a chicken mansion.

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It really depends on the rooster.
When first maturing, a cockerel is always ready about 2 to 3 weeks before the pullets are and that results in lots of feather pulling and screaming.
A mature rooster with access to mature pullets and hens ignores immature pullets until they are ready. This guy has no one that's ready.
If possible, I'd keep him in a 'look don't touch' set up until the pullets are about 17 weeks old or until at least one of them is squatting for the rooster.

 

[ShianRainDrop]

Thank you so much for your feedback! I definitely want to make sure they are big enough to handle him. He is running around humping soccer balls and any other thing he can find so at almost 2 years old, I think he's completely frustrated that he's not had any ladies around. LOL!