Bantam Rooster (Light Brahma)..regular hens...fighting!!

[jenjp1975]

I have a 2.5 month old Light Brahma rooster...he is very well tempered. Not the most loving but not aggressive. He had been raised with another Light Brahma (hen) and a giant cochin. today I decided it was time to put them out with my year old standard RIRs and my 3 month old Jersey Giants & Aracauna. The cochin and the hen brahma did fine...there was a little pecking from the giants and the RIRs but that is all. Then I let the Roo out....wow! Things went nuts....I thought they were fighting at first but then figured out that he is trying to mate my standards....this didn't work out so well. They fought back and he ended up bloody on his waddle & comb...I have 4 RIRs, 3 Jerseys, & 1 Aracauna..so 8 standard size hens.....I am afraid they will kill him. 2 of the Jerseys had him pinned and I had to break it up....Is he too young to mix yet? Do I just keep them separate forever? Or is this something that will run it's course...HELP!? I should mention that he, the brahma hen & my cochin have been in a cage together in my run for about 1.5 months so & they interact fine thru the fence with the standards.

 

[RedDrgn]

It sounds like you totally skipped any kind of preliminary introduction period, so the fighting isn't a surprise at all. The pecking order can be a brutal thing to have mixed around anyway, and tossing in some new birds, especially a roo, is guaranteed turmoil.

You should try keeping the new chickens separate, but in sight of the regulars for about a week. Then start free ranging them together to see how it goes (but return them to separate areas when not free ranging). It'll let them all get used to each other and make the integration a little less traumatizing.

The roo is designed to be #1, so he's absolutely going to do some battle to get there and it's not at all odd for the established hens to fight right back, regardless of anyone's physical size. However, since your roo is a young banty, he could be severely injured or even killed if the LF girls gang up on him. So be wary and watchful as you integrate until you're sure he can hold his own (which, even as a half-pint, he should eventually be able to do).