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This is where were keeping our young hens. I believe it is about 8' x 18' they sleep in there and during the day they have free roam of our entire yard. The garden he's in runs the length of our yard.
Last night he was hell bent on sleeping with them and I felt so guilty about him being alone I ended up putting him in with them.. they were fine he was cuddled up to a hen all night. I woke up extra early to be up before them. When they finally woke up they started picking on him so I put him back in the garden. I know I shouldn't have put him to bed with them but I felt so bad.
Nice big building!
So you put the cockerel loose with the pullets(younger birds)?
Where is he during the day..."in the garden".... in a crate...can all the birds come up to the crate???
You could put the crate in the coop at night so he won't be alone but safe from harassment.
FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.
These tips might help....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.
Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.
In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.
The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.
Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.
Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can
really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
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