Adult rooster

[Coven House]

A friend gave us a rooster that was picked on at another farm. He's been in my gated garden over the last week. We have 2 week old chicks, and I'm wondering if it would be safe to add him to the pen with the chicks. We had also, a hen that was refused at the farm, and I caught her pecking at the chicks, so out she went.( back to the farm) and an old hen with the rooster in the garden. I don't know why, but we found her dead yesturday. The rooster has been crowing since. Can I add him to my chicks, or send him back to the farm? He can't stay in my garden, any new shoots are completely gone. My chicks have been vaccinated, but the rooster came from a farm that hatched his own.
Thank you for any input.

 

[bj taylor]

i was reading the thread on bio-security yesterday. i think you're going to have to keep him quarantined for awhile. diseases can take up to a month to manifest themselves.
i was also reading a lady created a "panic room" for her chicks to escape being picked on. she piled branches/brush for them inside the coop to hide in that the large chickens couldn't get into. this gave them a go to place. it helped integrate the chickens. i think i'm going to try that when my chicks get old enough to join my four girls.