Adding a rooster to the flock

[happymorrows]

My current rooster is aggressive and I am rehoming him to the oven. This spring I want to add some new ladies to the flock, preferably pullet aged or slightly older. I also want to add a rooster. Should he also be pullet aged, or should he be older. I kind of want an older rooster because I want to be sure he isn't aggressive, but I also thought it might be good to get a rooster the same age as the new ladies so they could "come up together" so to speak. Any ideas on which way is better. Which age will my current ladies do better with?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

An older roo will breed your older hens in a few minutes to a few days, while you'll have to wait a little longer on the younger ones. Your choice. Wait, or breed now?

 

[teach1rusl]

I don't know which is better. I can share my "limited" experience.
I tried a young rooster, and I think he would have EVENTUALLY ended up being a good rooster; he was trying to woo the girls a bit and such, but he was just SO rough on them. They hated him, would run from him, one took to hiding in the coop from him, and one would fight him and ended up with a bloody comb 2x. I think he was just overly hormonal and inexperienced, but I wasn't willing to have my hens traumatized/stressed for the 6 months or year it would take for him to learn manners/technique. So I rehomed him (not in the oven...lol...as he was not people aggressive).
Months later we picked up a two year old rooster. He's a bantam (mille fluer d'uccle). Literally from the get-go (well...other than the first 5-10 minutes or so of chest butting and pecking), all of my girls have responded well to him. Since he's much smaller than them, it HAS to be because he's mature and mannerly with them. I've never seen him mate them in front of me (while the young roo would literally chase one down in front of me - and I'd knock him off). Now, I doubt any eggs have been fertilized, as I just don't think body parts line up right because of their size differences, but I'm not hatching chicks so don't care.
The young rooster we'd tried had NOT been raised with my girls...he was about a month or two older than them. So I'm not sure whether that would have made a difference or not.

 

[Pinky]

If you get a younger rooster, you can train him not to be agressive if you have the time. My first rooster was an older one who was said to be 'peaceful' (I was very inexperienced). He turned out to be chickenzilla. But this is only my experience. If you know where to get a well manneredolder rooster, go for it, if thats what you want.

 

[kano]

If the roo is mature, no problem. I have done this many times, and never had a problem. The hens are going to look the guy, with curiosity first, and then follow with their occupations. He is going to act very calm, because he is not use to the enviroment. Within 2 or 3 days he is goig to start to mate the girls. If the roo is young the things are very diferent. Older hens are going to harass him. And he is going to harass those who are not dominant.