After rehoming cockerels should I try to help their sister make a friend?

[Farmgirl283420]

Let me try to explain what I’m asking hopefully you don’t find it too confusing! I have three groups of chickens my big chickens, my juveniles as I call them, and then my broody hen who has a cockerel and a pullet. My big chickens have a fat Cochin rooster and there are ten hens. My juveniles live with my big chickens but pretty much keep to themselves and are pretty scared of the big chickens. Their group is two cockerels and one pullet and are about 14 weeks. Amelia my hen is at the moment living in the small side coop where she raised her two babies who are roughly ten weeks one of which is a boy and the other a girl. My two cockerels I am about to rehome and I’m afraid their sister is going to be terribly lonely and sad as the other chickens chase and peck her she is very small and sensitive. Amelia is ready to move back into the big coop and I’m willing to let her wild little cockerel move in with her but I’m wondering if maybe I could keep her pullet and the juvenile pullet in the small coop together so they could become friends and not be alone when i finally move them into the big coop. I’m sorry if this is confusing but curious to know if this could work.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Anyone have any advice? What would you guys do if it was your flock and why?

 

[BDutch]

My two cockerels I am about to rehome and I’m afraid their sister is going to be terribly lonely and sad as the other chickens chase and peck her she is very small and sensitive.

Cant you wait a bit longer until the mama is leaving the 2 chicks too?
The 2 females could pair if you rehome the cockerels after the youngsters are left by themselves.

I had 3 juveniles once like you have now and it didn’t work out nicely for the juvenile pullet who wasnt allowed to sleep with the adults after the two cockerels had gone. She got bullied every evening until she gave up and started to sleep in the nestbox again.
I always regretted I didnt keep one cockerel until Janice was mature and confident enough.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Cant you wait a bit longer until the mama is leaving the 2 chicks too?
The 2 females could pair if you rehome the cockerels after the youngsters are left by themselves.

I had 3 juveniles once like you have now and it didn’t work out nicely for the juvenile pullet who wasnt allowed to sleep with the adults after the two cockerels had gone. She got bullied every evening until she gave up and started to sleep in the nestbox again.
I always regretted I didnt keep one cockerel until Janice was mature and confident enough.

Amelia is pecking her chicks if they get too close and laying eggs again. She is very much ready to leave her babies and be a normal hen again. So you think that Fern the juvenile and Amelia’s pullet could actually be friends if I put them together?

 

[Yardmom]

Yes the two pullets will likely gravitate to each other. Not sure if you should just let it happen in the coop with the others, or put them together in a separate area? If it was my coop I would place them in the pen that is inside my coop. Do you have a place they can be together in sight of the others?

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Yes the two pullets will likely gravitate to each other. Not sure if you should just let it happen in the coop with the others, or put them together in a separate area? If it was my coop I would place them in the pen that is inside my coop. Do you have a place they can be together in sight of the others?

Yes I have a small coop and run next to the big coop and run where they can see each other but can’t hurt each other.

 

[K0k0shka]

I'd put the two pullets together in the smaller coop and give them a couple of weeks to bond, then merge them with the main flock as a pair. The pullets are still young and not likely to fight each other, especially if they are all alone in the small coop and only have each other for company. At that age it's usually the males that get territorial and want to fight. So if this were my flock, I'd get rid of all the cockerels, move Amelia back to the main flock, put the two pullets together in the small coop, and let them bond for a few weeks. They will do much better as a pair once merged with the big flock. I've had a single pullet remain after a clutch ends up all males and 1 female, or after the others die or are rehomed, etc. and in my experience, whether the lone pullet does well on her own depends 1) on her temperament, and 2) on the temperaments of the rest of the flock. I've had a lone pullet be absolutely miserable and incapable of fitting in for a year and a half (until I got rid of her), but I've also had another pullet, at a different time, do completely fine and even rise in rank all on her own. So it really depends, but if you already have two single pullets, it makes the most sense to put them together and give them a chance to have company, and be their own micro-flock within the main flock once merged.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I'd put the two pullets together in the smaller coop and give them a couple of weeks to bond, then merge them with the main flock as a pair. The pullets are still young and not likely to fight each other, especially if they are all alone in the small coop and only have each other for company. At that age it's usually the males that get territorial and want to fight. So if this were my flock, I'd get rid of all the cockerels, move Amelia back to the main flock, put the two pullets together in the small coop, and let them bond for a few weeks. They will do much better as a pair once merged with the big flock. I've had a single pullet remain after a clutch ends up all males and 1 female, or after the others die or are rehomed, etc. and in my experience, whether the lone pullet does well on her own depends 1) on her temperament, and 2) on the temperaments of the rest of the flock. I've had a lone pullet be absolutely miserable and incapable of fitting in for a year and a half (until I got rid of her), but I've also had another pullet, at a different time, do completely fine and even rise in rank all on her own. So it really depends, but if you already have two single pullets, it makes the most sense to put them together and give them a chance to have company, and be their own micro-flock within the main flock once merged.

Thank you! I’ll do what you said except move Amelia’s cockerel with her into the big coop and rehome him once he gets bigger.

 

[K0k0shka]

Thank you! I’ll do what you said except move Amelia’s cockerel with her into the big coop and rehome him once he gets bigger.

Supervise them at first though and watch for signs of aggression between the two males. The older rooster may not like the competition (at 10 weeks the young cockerel is old enough to no longer be viewed by the big rooster as a baby to be protected, but as a potential rival to be dealt with).

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Supervise them at first though and watch for signs of aggression between the two males. The older rooster may not like the competition (at 10 weeks the young cockerel is old enough to no longer be viewed by the big rooster as a baby to be protected, but as a potential rival to be dealt with).

Royal is really such an amazing rooster he leaves my naughty 15 week old cockerels alone besides sometimes a quick chase!