Adopted "Cock"erel advice and tips please

[JulieBeth07]

I'm back with more questions! Advice would be much appreciated! Apologies in advance for the length, wanted to give the most info for the best advice.

Mr. Bleu Rouge... he's a blue laced red wyandotte (thanks to this wonderful community for identifying him) we brought him over from a friend's flock (drake and female duck and about 4 hens). They weren't allowed to have him and were thinking of adding a rooster. We have plenty of girls here with room to roam and crow, so instead of making him dinner we figured we'd try him out with our girls.

He's about the same age as our older girls that started laying (about 4-5 months). We also have a younger crew of girls about 3 months (13) ... and 6 ducks (all female 1 laying).

We have our coop attached to a covered and secured run with an adjacent duck pen (run is not accessible to duck pen hardware cloth in between) We leave the coop open to the run so the girls can start their day until 730 when I go out there to let them free range.

I'm a new flock lover ... haven't had a problem with introducing my younger flocks and have no clue about this "cock"erel I've added This has proven a little more ... interesting. I'm trying to do what's best for all the

I put him in a dog crate(covered so they couldn't roost/poop on him) in the hen house to sleep and took him to our duck pen during the day (with a little time out in the yard with the girls), as to try and keep the girls in their routine. Gave him plenty of treats (although he wasn't super sure what to do with them) That worked great for 2 days... then he started pecking at me when I'd go to take him out. I figured I'd be pretty awnry too with those crazy hens and being locked in a crate.

So.. yesterday I put the crate in the run (covered on the top and a side so he had a place away from possible pecks) so I could just open it up to the run this morning. Well I went and let the girls out and went to let him out of his crate.. gave him some treats in the run and he acted like he was going to challenge me a bit. I immediately stood up and scoffed at him, he backed down. I left him in the run today (closed off to the girls while they free ranged) went in gave him fresh water and some table scraps. He seemed fine.

My girls all come to me and maybe once looked at me crazy for feeding them a little too late or not bringing treats... this is new to me (welcome to the cockerel show, right?)

I let him out the first day and he wasn't happy with the ducks and then the girls kinda ganged up on him. I've let him out a couple of times supervised and he's kinda seemed to do his own thing. I've seen him challenge the girls a couple of times but they for the most part leave him be... when he's not crated up (then I think they all have at him)

Apologies for being so long winded, just looking for some advice. I don't want anyone being picked on.. and that includes me.. I attached a couple of pics for reference

 

[chickenlittle21]

He might of just challenged you out of stress, fear, or confusion.

 

[JulieBeth07]

He might of just challenged you out of stress, fear, or

I hate to hear that, but that's what I'm hoping... they never had problems with him, but they also weren't as involved either.

 

[aart]

Just stay calm cool and collected, don't try to feed him by hand.
Keeping him n the run for a few days would be good, to 'home' him.
Then let him out with the rest.
Do you range both chicken and ducks together?
Do C&D have separate coops?

 

[JulieBeth07]

Just stay calm cool and collected, don't try to feed him by hand.
Keeping him n the run for a few days would be good, to 'home' him.
Then let him out with the rest.
Do you range both chicken and ducks together?
Do C&D have separate coops?

Yes. The chickens and ducks range together, but have separate "homes". We have the duck pen and the chicken coop. I leave them all open during the day (to hide or get out of the weather... we're in south Florida and rain comes out of nowhere) they all kinda go in and out of both, but when its bedtime they go to their respective homes. In the pictures... the gray and white with the windows is our hen house and the duck pen is adjacent to our run (the concrete block on the bottom hardware cloth around and is shorter)