Adding a young cockerel to already laying pullets

[SueT]

When I got my bantam Cochin, Carl, I added him to a flock of mixed age hens. He was close to a year old, some of them were 1,2 and 3 yrs. The younger ones liked him immediately, the elder ones bullied him. He was very afraid of them. He was a sweetheart. I think you’ll like yours.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

He's still a comparative baby so the ladies are likely to be rather heartless to him until he matures enough to impress him (think of a 16yo boy crashing a woman's book club meeting

We may not be able to get him for a couple of wks...will that help out more, or is sooner better??

Once he's old enough to become flockmaster and mate with the ladies you'll have to judge your fertility by the results. I've got a young, vigorous rooster who was doing his duty by ~20 ladies over the past couple months but sometimes that doesn't pan out and I'm going to keep one of his sons to help out.

I don't NEED him to breed everyone, I just want to be able to replace who we cull off. I know chicks are cheap but I'd rather just let a hen hatch them out.

My question is, will there be "hurt feelings," negative behavior if he doesn't breed everyone??

Right now I am their rooster and as much as I love them dearly and pet them whenever they squat in front of me, I will gladly step out of that roll and let it be filled by a real rooster. THESE GIRLS ARE OBSESSED WITH ME!!! I am not joking lol. I do spend a lot of time with them but they are as bad as dogs, calling at me as soon as I pull in the driveway or walk out the door

They NEED male distraction

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

When I got my bantam Cochin, Carl, I added him to a flock of mixed age hens. He was close to a year old, some of them were 1,2 and 3 yrs. The younger ones liked him immediately, the elder ones bullied him. He was very afraid of them. He was a sweetheart. I think you’ll like yours. View attachment 3278124

He is beautiful!!!

My girls are roughly (well I just did the math)My younger 6 are 24wks the older 13 are 27wks

I so love him already!! His name will be Johnny!! I don't have pics yet as he is at my daughter in laws place with like 10 of his brothers and a gazillion sisters lol

 

[3KillerBs]

We may not be able to get him for a couple of wks...will that help out more, or is sooner better??

Probably a 6 of one, half-dozen of the other situation. If he's older he will have an easier time working his way into the flock. But there are some advantages to letting mature hens teach a cockerel proper chicken manners (not beat up on him, just teach him how chicken society works).

My question is, will there be "hurt feelings," negative behavior if he doesn't breed everyone??

Unlikely.

I haven't seen it myself -- because my Australorps are a very laid-back breed -- but sometimes a head hen won't yield to a rooster even when he's more mature.

I had a dominant hen who wouldn't squat for me before I had a rooster and wouldn't squat for Ludwig, my first flockmaster for this group, until he was about 9 months old and half again her size (she was a Brahma and thus a big girl and he was a Langshan and eventually absolutely HUGE). But I've also had individual hens willingly accept a 5-month cockerel.

Individual personality will matter a great deal.

 

[SueT]

My question is, will there be "hurt feelings," negative behavior if he doesn't breed everyone??

I have hens that evade our current rooster. Not all of of them think they need a man in their lives.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Unlikely.

I haven't seen it myself -- because my Australorps are a very laid-back breed -- but sometimes a head hen won't yield to a rooster even when he's more mature.

I had a dominant hen who wouldn't squat for me before I had a rooster and wouldn't squat for Ludwig, my first flockmaster for this group, until he was about 9 months old and half again her size (she was a Brahma and thus a big girl and he was a Langshan and eventually absolutely HUGE). But I've also had individual hens willingly accept a 5-month cockerel.

Individual personality will matter a great deal.

Thank you for your insight!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Went and picked up Johnny today. He's actually 16wks and adorable lol..
Pics to come!!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Here's Johnny and our current day time set up. I have a small crate for sleeping in the coop also. The girls are definitely curious and NOISY!!!


At 16wks. Should I expect him to get any bigger being an bantam??

 

[Isadora]

Johnny is adorable