Adding another young cockerel to +- 1 y/o flock

[5GodsDown]

Hi everyone

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with my upcoming situation or has any more useful tips. I'll get right into it: I have three almost one year old big Sussex. When they were 5 m/o I added a similar aged Ayam Cemani cockerel. I kept him separated but he always seemed to escape and apparently my pullets didn't mind at all, he could eat and forage with them, they didn't pay him any attention EXCEPT at night. He was not welcome to roost with them in the beginning. They weren't aggressive at all, but they would just come out again and refuse to go to sleep. I put the cockerel in a separate place every night for a week after which he was allowed to roost with the others without issues. Unfortunately he died a while ago.

One month ago I adopted a Serama pullet and cockerel that were looking for a new home. I kept them separated for a week and then another week with wire through which the Serama could fit, but not the big hens. Again they paid no attention to the cockerel. The little hen is bullied from time to time, but nothing too violent, she has enough opportunity to eat and drink and the Serama have a separate wired cage only they can enter.

Now I have a new Ayam Cemani cockerel waiting for me at the breeder. At the moment he's 6 w/o, so I won't pick him up until after another few weeks. How would you see the succes rate depending on my situation? Before I go pick him up I'm building another smaller coop so I can move the Serama if necessary, but it would be nice if they could all free range together (the Serama sleep separately, but they all share the same run when I'm not home, otherwise they free range).

Except for this adorable picture below the cockerel mostly stays by the serama pullet's side and hasn't shown any mating behaviour whatsoever, not towards the Serama and not towards my Sussex. My experience with my previous Ayam Cemani cockerel was that he wasn't violent at all, but I've only ever had one. Should I separate the Serama in any case and maybe get the little one some more hens or could this work out?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi everyone

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with my upcoming situation or has any more useful tips. I'll get right into it: I have three almost one year old big Sussex. When they were 5 m/o I added a similar aged Ayam Cemani cockerel. I kept him separated but he always seemed to escape and apparently my pullets didn't mind at all, he could eat and forage with them, they didn't pay him any attention EXCEPT at night. He was not welcome to roost with them in the beginning. They weren't aggressive at all, but they would just come out again and refuse to go to sleep. I put the cockerel in a separate place every night for a week after which he was allowed to roost with the others without issues. Unfortunately he died a while ago.

One month ago I adopted a Serama pullet and cockerel that were looking for a new home. I kept them separated for a week and then another week with wire through which the Serama could fit, but not the big hens. Again they paid no attention to the cockerel. The little hen is bullied from time to time, but nothing too violent, she has enough opportunity to eat and drink and the Serama have a separate wired cage only they can enter.

Now I have a new Ayam Cemani cockerel waiting for me at the breeder. At the moment he's 6 w/o, so I won't pick him up until after another few weeks. How would you see the succes rate depending on my situation? Before I go pick him up I'm building another smaller coop so I can move the Serama if necessary, but it would be nice if they could all free range together (the Serama sleep separately, but they all share the same run when I'm not home, otherwise they free range).

Except for this adorable picture below the cockerel mostly stays by the serama pullet's side and hasn't shown any mating behaviour whatsoever, not towards the Serama and not towards my Sussex. My experience with my previous Ayam Cemani cockerel was that he wasn't violent at all, but I've only ever had one. Should I separate the Serama in any case and maybe get the little one some more hens or could this work out?


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The best chance you have of it working out is to bring him in right now while he is still young and sexually immature. The ideal way to introduce new roosters to a flock is to raise them from day old chicks or hatch out cockerels under a broody.
Keep him in a similar arrangement that you did the Seramas where the others can see him but not touch him.
After a week, I would let the AC out to free range for a bit alone then let out the Sussex for a bit to see how it goes, then the Serama pair. If you have lots of space and places to run and hide and multiple feed and water stations, they should be okay free ranging.
My unrelated cockerel was accepted into my flock of hens and a rooster because he was raised with 14 pullets as a day old chicks right out in the coop in a built-in brooder. He is subordinate but he and the rooster have never fought. The cockerel jut gets out of the way of the rooster.

 

[aart]

Now I have a new Ayam Cemani cockerel waiting for me at the breeder. At the moment he's 6 w/o, so I won't pick him up until after another few weeks. How would you see the succes rate depending on my situation?

How old will he be when you bring him home?
Adding a single bird is always kinda tricky.

 

[5GodsDown]

How old will he be when you bring him home?
Adding a single bird is always kinda tricky.

He's available when I want to, but I'm trying to play it safe. My previous rooster died of Marek's disease, so I'm going to wait till the chick is at least 8 weeks old, preferably a little bit older even. As said, adding my late rooster and a while ago the Serama cockerel went without issues, except for the Cemani not being allowed to roost with the hens the first week, but again, no aggression at all.

The best chance you have of it working out is to bring him in right now while he is still young and sexually immature. The ideal way to introduce new roosters to a flock is to raise them from day old chicks or hatch out cockerels under a broody.
Keep him in a similar arrangement that you did the Seramas where the others can see him but not touch him.
After a week, I would let the AC out to free range for a bit alone then let out the Sussex for a bit to see how it goes, then the Serama pair. If you have lots of space and places to run and hide and multiple feed and water stations, they should be okay free ranging.
My unrelated cockerel was accepted into my flock of hens and a rooster because he was raised with 14 pullets as a day old chicks right out in the coop in a built-in brooder. He is subordinate but he and the rooster have never fought. The cockerel jut gets out of the way of the rooster.

I will try to pick him up asap, but as mentioned in my reply above, my previous rooster died of Marek's disease, so for his own safety I can't pick him up before he's 8 weeks old. Thank you for the advice.

 

[DobieLover]

He's available when I want to, but I'm trying to play it safe. My previous rooster died of Marek's disease, so I'm going to wait till the chick is at least 8 weeks old, preferably a little bit older even. As said, adding my late rooster and a while ago the Serama cockerel went without issues, except for the Cemani not being allowed to roost with the hens the first week, but again, no aggression at all.



I will try to pick him up asap, but as mentioned in my reply above, my previous rooster died of Marek's disease, so for his own safety I can't pick him up before he's 8 weeks old. Thank you for the advice.

Was the cockerel that you are picking up vaccinated for Marek's? What about the Seramas? The virus lives in the environment for up to a year so your Sussex and Seramas have already been exposed to it.
Did you get a necropsy on the AC rooster that died that confirmed it was Marek's?

 

[aart]

but as mentioned in my reply above, my previous rooster died of Marek's disease,

Was this confirmed with a necrospy and lab tests?

 

[5GodsDown]

Was the cockerel that you are picking up vaccinated for Marek's? What about the Seramas? The virus lives in the environment for up to a year so your Sussex and Seramas have already been exposed to it.
Did you get a necropsy on the AC rooster that died that confirmed it was Marek's?

No, he was not despite my advice to do so. In the avian community I'm part of (Belgium and The Netherlands) people generally seem to believe the anti-vaxx lies about vaccinating against Marek's. My girlfriend and I are actively trying to combat this.

The Sussex were vaccinated against Marek's and NCD, the Serama were not, but they only arrived here at 30 weeks of age. My avian vet was consulted prior to offering a new home to the Serama, as was she contacted about this rooster.

Yes, necropsy and histopathology were performed, visceral Marek's was confirmed. The entire "journey" can be found in my topics.

As I am no breeder and don't immediately aspire to be one all chickens will stay in my care, any future chicks will be vaccinated within the first 48 hours. As an infection with Marek's occurs within the first 8 weeks I wanted to wait a while longer before getting the chick.

 

[5GodsDown]

Was this confirmed with a necrospy and lab tests?

Yes, you can find it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...is-the-chance-of-mareks.1338704/post-22093274

 

[Folly's place]

I do remember your previous thread, and how hard you fought to keep that bird going!
All the best with your newbies!
Mary

 

[5GodsDown]

I do remember your previous thread, and how hard you fought to keep that bird going!
All the best with your newbies!
Mary

Thank you for your kind words, Mary My girlfriend and I are actually trying to start up a little project to spread awareness about MD in our country's poultry community, because I don't want people going in as unprepared as I was.