Can I put chicks with a rooster?

[Valhalla Acres]

We have hatched 6 new chicks, and we are running out of space in our chicken coop. My rooster is a buff oripington. We have two older chicks that arn't fully grown yet, but one day they got into the roosters pen and his hens were going after them. And as I was going in the pen to get them out I saw my rooster blocking the mean hens from the chicks. I was wondering if I seperate the rooster with the chicks, and away from the mean hens, will they get along?

P.S This is when the chicks get older. Right now the are under a heat lamp.

 

[rIrs roost]

So far my 2 roos have never even pecked a chick. I'd try it but I'd keep an eye out just to make sure. My hens are the ones that are mean to chicks.

 

[Valhalla Acres]

So far my 2 roos have never even pecked a chick. I'd try it but I'd keep an eye out just to make sure. My hens are the ones that are mean to chicks.

Thank You!

 

[KaylorFarms]

Hello! Welcome to Byc!! It's great to have you!

 

[junebuggena]

Exactly how old are these chicks, and is your flock used to having chicks around? The safest route is to setup a temporary pen for the chicks to spend their days in next door to your older birds, for at least two weeks. You can start letting them have field trips right now, just be sure to supervise and watch for signs of chilling. Once they are about 3 to 4 weeks old, they should be sufficiently feathered enough to not need a heat source at all and can be left in their pen during the day. Once the older birds are ignoring the littles, you can open up their pen allowing them to explore and interact with the older birds.
Using this process, I've had chicks fully integrated into my flock by 6 weeks of age.

4 different age groups in this shot. Adults, POL, 10-week-olds, and 4 week olds.

 

[rIrs roost]

Exactly how old are these chicks, and is your flock used to having chicks around? The safest route is to setup a temporary pen for the chicks to spend their days in next door to your older birds, for at least two weeks. You can start letting them have field trips right now, just be sure to supervise and watch for signs of chilling. Once they are about 3 to 4 weeks old, they should be sufficiently feathered enough to not need a heat source at all and can be left in their pen during the day. Once the older birds are ignoring the littles, you can open up their pen allowing them to explore and interact with the older birds.
Using this process, I've had chicks fully integrated into my flock by 6 weeks of age.
View attachment 1075371 4 different age groups in this shot. Adults, POL, 10-week-olds, and 4 week olds.

@junebuggena I love that little coop and run. Where did you get it?

 

[junebuggena]

It's actually a rabbit hutch, bought off Amazon. It's much too small for a chicken over 8 weeks of age, but it's perfect for 3 to 6 week old chicks adjusting to the flock.

 

[CindyNC]

Hi - Cindy from Monroe, NC here. I don't have chickens but live in the country and a Cubalaya wandered into our backyard. So I thought I'd join and figure out more about this rooster.

 

[Valhalla Acres]

Hello! Welcome to Byc!! It's great to have you!

Thank You!

 

[Valhalla Acres]

Exactly how old are these chicks, and is your flock used to having chicks around? The safest route is to setup a temporary pen for the chicks to spend their days in next door to your older birds, for at least two weeks. You can start letting them have field trips right now, just be sure to supervise and watch for signs of chilling. Once they are about 3 to 4 weeks old, they should be sufficiently feathered enough to not need a heat source at all and can be left in their pen during the day. Once the older birds are ignoring the littles, you can open up their pen allowing them to explore and interact with the older birds.
Using this process, I've had chicks fully integrated into my flock by 6 weeks of age.
View attachment 1075371 4 different age groups in this shot. Adults, POL, 10-week-olds, and 4 week olds.

The chicks are only 2 days old. But when they get older that's when I plan to move them in with the big birds. The mean hens can be moved with a bigger flock, they aren't mean with that flock. Than my rooster would be alone, and once the chicks were 5 weeks old than I would move them in with the rooster. I like the feild trip idea, I will do that. thank you.