Are young cockerels an immediate problem?

[happyhens1972]

I have a flock of 13 adult hens and one very quiet 'scaredy cat' Legbar cockerel.

I also have 4 chicks....one pullet, three cockerels....who are currently just under eight weeks old. They have been in a 'pen within a pen' for the last two weeks, in full sight of the adults but fenced for safety.

When can I combine them all....if at all? Will the young cockerels be an immediate threat/problem to my fully grown boy or will he only attack when they become sexually active?

I will need the pen the youngsters are in, in a couple of weeks, for the next set of chicks who are currently 4 weeks old.

Should I leave the combining until then so the youngsters are bigger?

Or should I re-home/cull the young roos and not even consider combining them with my flock?

If I re-home/cull the boys, that leaves a lone pullet to combine with the adults. Should I wait and actually combine her with the currently 4 week old chicks when they go outside in a couple of weeks (so they will be six weeks and she will be nearly ten weeks)? Will she be ok with them due to being outnumbered or will she still attack them because she is bigger?

 

[LRH97]

I'd say you can start the introduction process. A couple of days ranging freely together is a good idea before you actually release the young ones into the coop. I currently have four young cockerels with my flock of 50 (which includes two adult roos at this time) and they get along quite well at the moment. Yes, when their "time" comes, there will be some sparring and some flogging, but I haven't had too many major problems between adult males and newer younger males that I have introduced when they were younger. However, chickens are like people, and some just don't get along with others. Always save culling for a last resort. Let the birds mature so you can pick the best looking roo(s) for your hens. Who knows, you may like some of your younger "boys" better than the grown "man" that you've got! I also should mention, if all goes smoothly and you decide to keep all, 4 males for 13 females could be a little too much for the girls to handle. Best of luck!

 

[happyhens1972]

I should have explained, none of the three young cockerels I have are 'keepers'. They are mutts, purely hatched out to test my new incubator before I spent good money on purebred eggs. My current cockerel, named Harvey, is their father.....a stunning Cotswold Legbar who I was planning on keeping as he is the resident boy but I have now hatched out ten Orpingtons and a lone (unintentionally.....6 eggs, only one went the distance) Jersey Giant. I am desperately hoping the JG is a boy as I would love a JG cockerel but if not, I shall keep one of the purebred Orp cockerels that I will inevitably get.

I need a second cockerel as dear Harvey doesn't seem able or keen to cope with some of my bigger girls. I have some HUGE Orpington girls and a couple of massive cochin ladies that I would like 'serviced' in the future to replenish my flock but I know Harvey is either not mounting them or is but is not succeeding in fertilising them. I have done some part-incubations to test fertility and it is VERY low and only in the eggs of the smaller girls.

I am hoping to re-home these three mutt cockerels and am currently advertising them all over the place as I hate to cull unless really necessary but ultimately, that is their fate should I be unable to find a new home for them.

My original post was because I would rather give the three mutts as long as I possibly can to find those new homes before resorting to culling but I will need the pen they are in to house the 'up and coming' Orpingtons in about two weeks.

I have 13 adult hens, the pullet who is in with the mutt cockerels, ten Orpington chicks (sex unknown) and the JG so I'm hoping that out of my total of 24 other birds, I have sufficient pullets to 'provide' for the two cockerels. If not, I can certainly fit another hatch in before the end of the season and once I know exactly what I have out of all the hatches.