Hi, Last summer I received 3 chicks, around 8 weeks old, from a friend. Blanche we lost the first night thanks to a fox. Rose we lost around Christmas; she passed while we were out of town, so we aren't sure what happened. The only surviving chicken, Dorothy, grew up into a handsome rooster we now call Derek. Derek is a welsummer and I believe pretty mellow, most of the time. However, I'm afraid he's lonely. I've read a little about introducing a new flock of chicks to a lone hen, but not a lone rooster. I'd like to add 6-10 chicks this spring. I have an area in the garage to brood them. And as soon as it's warm enough outside, I have 2 separate coops inside of a fully enclosed run that I believe would be pretty well suited to a "get to know you" phase... Assuming that introducing the young gals to Derek is similar to introducing them to a hen. No matter what, I'm resigned to keeping Derek for his natural life, we've formed a weird bond over the last couple months, and I no longer can even joke about eating him. But it would be nice to also have some egg laying hens to go with my pet rooster. Any advice or tips would be very much appreciated Thanks!
It will depend on your roosters attitude. You will have to supervise any interactions. He will either want to care for them and wait until they are old enough to mate or he will attack them. I would try an introduction at a younger age, around 3 months, and see, otherwise I would keep them separated until your hens start laying, around 6 month, than try getting them together. Good luck with Derek.
