Adding a second rooster - really tame but larger than my first one!

[kerryb90]

I currently have a small flock of free range chickens with 5 misc medium sized hens, 1 silkie hen, and 1 silkie rooster (plus a bunch of ducks who coexist with them nicely). I'm planning to pick up a breeding pair of lavender ameraucanas tomorrow. I'm worried about introducing the two roosters.

My silkie rooster is fairly tame but he does occasionally try to protect his hen from me and my boyfriend, though he doesn't do much more than charge at our legs, and he leaves the other birds alone. (We got him a few weeks ago, and I think he's still trying to figure out his place in the pecking order in regards to us. We're teaching him.) The other birds pick on the silkies since they're so small, so they all tend to keep their distance from each other (our 3/4 acre of space for them helps!). The only squabbles we have are when they go in the coop at night, and those are minor. I think the rooster only mates with the silkie hen, though of course I COULD be wrong... I haven't checked the eggs for fertilization to find out.

The previous owners say that the reason they're getting rid of this rooster is because he's TOO docile. Which is great! I'm just worried that the (significantly smaller) silkie rooster will pick on him. I'm planning to place the new birds in a different coop at night (it'll be dark when I get back with them tomorrow anyway) and let them out in the morning to explore while the other chickens watch from their run (which is attached to their coop). Do you think this is the right course of action or should I try placing the new rooster in a dog kennel, as I have seen suggested? My worry with the first method is that my silkie roo will try to defend his hen if he's with her when he sees the newcomer. Maybe I should put the silkie in the kennel by himself while the others explore? I'm really not sure.

I'm very new to chicken ownership and roosters especially, so any advice y'all have is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Myrshine]

Quarantine first, that should be the #1 priority. You don’t want to bring in birds with an unknown history into your flock because this is how diseases are spread. Quarantine for 30 or more days, AWAY from your flock, in a completely different area. I wouldn’t worry about the roosters getting along right now. You need to focus on quarantining the newbies.

 

[NatJ]

I currently have a small flock of free range chickens with 5 misc medium sized hens, 1 silkie hen, and 1 silkie rooster (plus a bunch of ducks who coexist with them nicely). I'm planning to pick up a breeding pair of lavender ameraucanas tomorrow. I'm worried about introducing the two roosters.

Do you want to hatch purebred chickens?
If so, keep each kind in a separate pen.

If you let them all run together, you will have some Ameraucana/Silkie cross chicks, rather than pure Ameraucanas and pure Silkies.

I think the rooster only mates with the silkie hen, though of course I COULD be wrong... I haven't checked the eggs for fertilization to find out.

Unless he is a VERY unusual rooster, he is mating with all of them, but you just haven't noticed him doing it.

I'm planning to place the new birds in a different coop at night (it'll be dark when I get back with them tomorrow anyway) and let them out in the morning to explore while the other chickens watch from their run (which is attached to their coop). Do you think this is the right course of action

I do not think this is a good idea.

Nendei makes a very good point about quarantine.

But even if you are not worried about diseases or parasites, I would NOT let the new chickens out to explore until you have had them at least a week. I would let them be in their coop, or in a fenced run, but not loose. They will probably try hard to get back to their old home in time for bed, so you need to keep them confined until they get used to sleeping in their new coop at your place.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you are new to chickens, roosters can be very tricky. They don't call it cock fighting for nothing.

Personally, I would not have two roosters unless I had nearly 30 hens. The more roosters you have, the more likely it is that it will go wrong. And it can go VERY wrong, as in some birds will fight to death.

Roosters introduced to each other will almost ALWAYS fight. Some fight once and work it out, some fight, rest, and fight again. Some will fight until either or both are severely injured.

You always need a plan B set up and ready to go when you have roosters. You need to be able to separate fighting birds, and really you need to be able to cull birds when you start adding roosters to the flock. Not all roosters will turn out. A lot of them won't.

Mrs K

 

[kerryb90]

Thank you all for the advice! The person who promised me the breeding pair sold them to someone else anyway, so this is no longer an urgent issue - though no doubt I'll be referring back here if/when the time comes to add another roo!

 

[Yardmom]

You need more hens before adding another roo. Think 10 hen per roo.

 

[NatJ]

You need more hens before adding another roo. Think 10 hen per roo.

The estimate of 10 hens per rooster is for people who want to keep the fewest possible roosters while still having most eggs fertile, because they are raising hundreds of chicks. That is useful for commerical hatcheries and similar businesses, but not for most people who have a small flock in their yard.

If you are worried about overmating (bald back on the hens), it has more to do with the individual rooster. Some roosters overmate their favorite hens even with dozens of other hens available, and some roosters are fine with just one or two hens.

 

[kerryb90]

Unless he is a VERY unusual rooster, he is mating with all of them, but you just haven't noticed him doing it.

You were correct here, as I figured you were - cracked two eggs this morning and saw a definite bullseye in one from a hen I hadn't seen him get even close to in the yard. The other I couldn't quite tell, but if it wasn't fertile I'd be surprised.

 

[aart]

The person who promised me the breeding pair sold them to someone else anyway,

Well, that stinks!

 

[kerryb90]

Well, that stinks!

yeah I'm pretty salty about it haha, I had arranged to pick them up and everything.