Adding a new rooster to the flock!

[Darius123]

Hi! I have a big flock (for the space that i currently have) about 27 hens and 3 big boys. I dont know how or why but the boys are the
best i've seen. They are from the same batch (all three 1 and a half years old) and i got lucky that they are great together.
I was wondering if another rooster would disturb the whole pecking order makeing my current ones to gang on him, or to fight themselves.


If you are wondering why i want another rooster its because its a very beautiful mix of mine (brahma columbia + brahma white), and i like his size, colors etc,
and do to the lack of space currently i cant keep him away and the only chance for him to stay at my home is to introduce him in the flock.

 

[Buckingham Palace]

They might start fighting over hens. They will probably go to the head in the pecking order unless the hens are very feisty.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any new rooster will probably be beat up quickly if yours are bold. A very mature dominate rooster could possibly take charge. Anything is possible with poultry. Expect troubles.

You could try penning the new one for a long while so they can get to know each other through the fence. I've had better luck introducing new roosters during the fall, and winter when hormones are lower.

 

[Battlepants]

The success stories that I typically hear about multi-rooster flocks are typically those where the roos grew up together, or a father-son relationship. So expect there to be a decent amount of fighting here.

The ideal situation, in my eyes, would be to set up a separate coop/run where this roo can exist with the 6-8 ladies that you give him.

For your situation where you don't really have the above as an option, I would at least keep him separated by fence for a few days so they can get most of their aggression out through the fence. This is in addition to a ~2 week quarantine where he is not able to see any chickens due to the current risks of illness.

Overall, this might work, but I would have to suggest against it. I wish you the best of luck if you go forward with it however.

 

[Darius123]

The success stories that I typically hear about multi-rooster flocks are typically those where the roos grew up together, or a father-son relationship. So expect there to be a decent amount of fighting here.

The ideal situation, in my eyes, would be to set up a separate coop/run where this roo can exist with the 6-8 ladies that you give him.

For your situation where you don't really have the above as an option, I would at least keep him separated by fence for a few days so they can get most of their aggression out through the fence. This is in addition to a ~2 week quarantine where he is not able to see any chickens due to the current risks of illness.

Overall, this might work, but I would have to suggest against it. I wish you the best of luck if you go forward with it however.

Thank you for the great advice! This is my whole concern, to not disturb the succes story , my other 3 roosters being so nice to each other (and as you said, they grew up together)