Baby chicks and baby rooster

[Charlie trotter]

I am getting ready to purchase 5 baby hens and want a rooster. Is it best to get them all at the same time and the same age?

 

[SueT]

Yes, I think so. Then they will all grow up familiar with each other.

 

[Charlie trotter]

Kinda what I was thinking. Thanks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes, they'll be used to each other, but the male is going to make life awful for the girls when he hits puberty because he's not going to have any manners and they aren't going to be near ready for his advances

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am getting ready to purchase 5 baby hens and want a rooster. Is it best to get them all at the same time and the same age?

That is the way I would do it but I see you having two options, both with positives and negatives.

If you get them as baby chicks they will grow up together but you'll have to watch them go through puberty. In spite of what you read on here sometimes that is not that bad. But sometimes (probably most of the time) it can get violent and be hard to watch. I've never had a chicken injured during that phase but some people have. About once every three or four years it gets rough enough that I lock some boys up to grow to butcher size. That is not every year, just occasionally.

Another option is to wait until those girls grow up and bring in a mature rooster. That's usually about the easier integration there is, mature rooster to a flock of mature hens. The potential downside to that is biosecurity. You can try quarantining but there is a risk you could bring in a disease or parasite with outside chickens, plus you have to find a rooster of a breed you'd want.

 

[Tonyroo]

Ridgerunner's 2nd option is a lot better. Cause your hens won't be so stressed out and terrorized by a young cockerel. They can do a lot damage.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

If these are your first chickens it would probably be best if you kept a hen-only flock the first year and then, once you are over the beginner hiccups, get a male.

Also, where are you? If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.