Hi! I am new to the chicken world and after what I thought were two hens, it appears 1 is a roo. Right now, they are very friendly with one another. They are always together and seem quite upset when one is out of sight of the other. They are just a few months old as they were born on 4/11. A few questions: 1. Can the two live together in harmony? 2. If I removed the roo to a good new home, would the hen be okay alone? 3. Can I add a new hen of a similar age to the coop with the lonely hen? I don't want to separate the two and have them both become sick due to being lonely. However, I also do not want fertilized eggs as I do not have intentions on hatching any in the near future. I appreciate any thoughts and advice on what to do here. Thank you, Nikki
May I ask why you wouldn't want fertilized eggs? If you gather them every day, it will be just like eating regular eggs. I have no experience with roosters, so I'm sorry, I can't answer your compatibility questions with certainty.
They can indeed live in harmony, but the rooster may be aggresive to the hen since he only has one. The key word is may . If he does, I would suggest getting 1-2 more similiarly aged hens so he can divide his attentions between them. I would not suggest having 1 lone hen- they are very sociable creatures, and enjoy company. If you decide to get rid of the roo, get another hen of closish age. You can add new hens to a flock- others may suggest good ways to do this so it is safe for all.
Hello! Well, I guess I thought it was bad to eat a fertilized egg. I just think "eating a baby chick" when I think of a fertilized egg. Again, I am new to this, so please excuse my ignorance. I am trying to learn and do not want to do something that is not correct. If it is okay to eat a fertilized egg, then I guess I could keep them together and not worry about it. Thank you
And since you're learning (we ALL are), at this age they are considered pullet (female chick) and cockerel (male chick). They are "officially" hen and rooster at one year of age. Your cockerel will most likely begin "acting up" within the next month, as his hormones start taking over. He may be fairly nice to his mate, or he may be overly aggressive with her as he attempts mating. If he's gentle, she should be okay. Just watch for overmating (because you only have the one female) - feathers being pulled out, pecking wounds, etc. If that happens you may have to get rid of him, or bring in more females. Not trying to scare you or anything, just letting you know what may or may not happen.
