Any behavior pros?

[Somshine]

Okay, so I have an original flock of 7 girls in which the youngest are several years old. They recently lost their rooster. I also have a flock of 9 that's 24+ weeks old and one flock of 11 around 15 weeks old. The younger flocks each have a rooster. I have a bachelor pad on the upper deck of the extra roosters plucked from the youngest flock about 6-8 weeks ago. The 3 flocks are all in separate coop's in the yard but close together where they can see each other. And they all free-range together everyday, but the older girls distance from the younger flocks. Except the bachelor pad. The roosters stay up there and don't mingle with the rest or free range. But they can hear each other crow. I want to take one rooster out of the bachelor pad and one hen out of the youngest flock to go with him and add it to my old girls flock. I feel like he'll do well with the plan but how likely is that lil hen to take to a new flock when her previous one is right there every day? How long would I have to lock her and new roo up with the older girls and not let them range with the others to keep her with them? I was thinking just till they get along. Then fix wrong roosting at night till they get it? Was also thinking about alternating freerange days so that the newly created flock was by themselves one day and then the old flocks the other. Any suggestions on how to make this work? Eventually the two younger flocks will go together in a much bigger coop and run. But I'm going to keep the old mamas separate with this new rooster and hen.

 

[NatJ]

I want to take one rooster out of the bachelor pad and one hen out of the youngest flock to go with him and add it to my old girls flock.

Why do you want to add a hen to that flock?
If she was already a friend of the rooster, I could see moving her and him together. But he's in the bachelor pad, and she's with a different flock, so she doesn't even know him.

I feel like he'll do well with the plan but how likely is that lil hen to take to a new flock when her previous one is right there every day? How long would I have to lock her and new roo up with the older girls and not let them range with the others to keep her with them?

The young female would probably prefer to stay with her current buddies. The older hens will probably pick on her, and she will miss her friends.

Personally, I would just add the male (from the bachelor pad) to the oldest flock, and leave the young female where she is. Unless there is a specific reason to move that female (breeding groups, number of birds in which pens, or something of the sort.)

 

[Somshine]

My husband was raising the bachelor pad to process. He sort of lucked out because the older girls wander off by themselves and they need a rooster since we live out in the country. But also I wanted him to go in there with a hen his age. They were once together but I imagine 6 to 8 weeks ago they don't remember that. That way he's got someone to hang in there with if we need to add new hens when the old ladies go. Pen numbers too. Also so we're adding two to be partners in trauma in case all seven of the old ladies get too b***** it's not all focused on one. That's my logic anyway.

 

[NatJ]

My husband was raising the bachelor pad to process. He sort of lucked out because the older girls wander off by themselves and they need a rooster since we live out in the country. But also I wanted him to go in there with a hen his age. They were once together but I imagine 6 to 8 weeks ago they don't remember that. That way he's got someone to hang in there with if we need to add new hens when the old ladies go. Also so we're adding two to be partners in trauma in case all seven of the old ladies get too b***** it's not all focused on one. That's my logic anyway.

You certainly could try it.

But personally, I would just add the male. If the hens are all old enough to lay eggs, the rooster is not going to care who is "his age" and who is much older.

I do not think he and the young hen will remember each other enough to matter.

For introducing the male, you could just pop him in there, or you could put him in something like a wire dog crate to meet the hens for a few days without them being able to actually peck him.

 

[Somshine]

Yeah, maybe I'll just do that. I'll see how he hangs in there on his own. I was kind of worried that would be a little much for her to wrap her mind around. Thank you!