Tankueray
Bird Nerd
You didn't say what the age/sex/number differences were, and I'm assuming you're either keeping him because he's the runt or the only rooster you want to keep. As advised above, separated by a cage or one at a time back in the brooder are the best bets, but I understand that those aren't very doable for you.
The following is what I've observed in my own flock to hopefully alleviate some of your worry:
It seems that cockerels tend to be loners naturally, however my oldest boy is a Spitzhauben, and they're kind of loners anyway. I have two 22 week old EE hens, nine 14 week old pullets (multiple breeds), one 14 week old Spitzhauben rooster (crowing at 11 weeks), two 10 week Ameraucana pullets, two 10 week cockerels (spitz and ameraucana), and six, 6 week old chicks (spitz and ameraucana). (22 total, 3 confirmed males.) The younglings are allowed full access to the rest of the flock by 5-6 weeks old (hiding places, but no separation). Usually I let them roost where they want for a few nights (floor, hiding spot, etc.), then I'll put them on an empty, low roost every night until they realize that they're allowed to be up there. They'll cry like puppies for the first couple of nights. Mine all seem to line up from left to right in the pecking order at night, even though the middle perch is the highest
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The big girls (22 and 14 weeks) didn't take to the rooster at all, even though all the 14 week olds were brooded together. He was a loner when foraging, slept alone, and ate last. Once he started crowing, he gained a bit more acceptance as he started pushing to the front of the line. All the girls still chase him off if they're not being tolerant that day, but now he's got 2 brooder buddies that hang most of the day and sleep with him. The two times I've seen him try to breed, he's gotten his butt kicked though
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The younger four were brooded together, and it seems that the Ameraucana cockerel is submissive to the spitz, they're best buddies and haven't tried to fight at all. Only the spitz has tried to crow a few times, but I'm pretty sure he's trying to keep it on the DL because of the older rooster (they've not fought either). They're still working on getting accepted on the (higher) perch at night, eat after the older chickens, and get chased off a lot. If I'm in there while a big girl is pecking at one of the younger ones on that high perch, usually because the big girl got there late, AND the pecking is bad, I'll peck her with my finger (generally on the shoulder) every time she pecks at the younger one, eventually she grumbles out of the way and settles in without further bullying. (There's plenty of room on the perch.) If there's a real problem, bully gets put on the floor and has to re-roost until she stops picking at them for the evening, I've only ever had to do that twice.
Note that I lightly put my hand on each chicken's back at night once they've perched to maintain my alpha status. I do this while counting or talking to them, the longer or louder they grumble, the longer my hand stays. I don't hold them down, but if they consistently freak out, I'll pick them up and hold them for a minute, then put them back on the perch once they quiet down. This shouldn't be necessary once everyone is fully integrated, sexually mature, and able to be handled well enough to do health exams. This is generally how I hold them:
or
My hands are small, so sometimes I have to put two fingers between their legs if the hen has wide hips, so it's not physically uncomfortable for them.
The babies (6 weeks) have been fully in the coop for a week now. They still stay inside all day because there's a cat that's been coming around looking for snacks. When everyone else is let out in the morning, they jump down and eat. Since they can't leave, they're also the first to roost at night, and they've all decided to park on the highest-of-the-pecking-order big girls' perch. The big girls weren't too keen on that at first, but they really haven't bothered them. I'm pretty sure that will change when the babies take up more space.
I have 14 ducks and drakes from two hatches too, and they're also about 4-5 weeks apart. They share the yard with the chickens. The ducks have their flock as do the chickens, but they all will tend to hang out with their brooder buddies during the day, regardless of how well they get along with each other. Other than a bowl in the coop for the babies, they all eat together without bowls. I pour the feed out in a line on the ground every morning and evening (unless there's bad weather, chickens get a bowl under cover, the ducks don't care). I do that mostly for weed control, but I found that if everyone can eat at the same time and they all "fit at the trough", then I don't have many problems with bullying. We all eat bbq potato chips together every couple of weeks (hand feeding lets me watch the flock dynamics, look for health issues, and stay a "member" of the flock even though I'm not with them 24/7; chips because they crumble and they have to stick around to eat them off the ground instead of running off with a treat like they're playing football).
Other notes about my particular setup and qualifications: My coop is a large open-air hoop coop, I gave up on the ducks going into their separate coop at night a few weeks ago, they sleep in the yard. The yard is huge (about 1/4 acre), and I hope that and a high female to male ratio will prevent problems in the near future. If not, it's big enough to separate into smaller yards. I am a biologist and former zookeeper and trainer for two very large "worlds" in Florida, so I have a bit of experience in animal behavior and husbandry (chickens are new to me though).
TL;DR:
So I guess my point here is, if there's a huge age difference and he's alone, you're going to have to intervene to allow him to be accepted. (You are the Alpha of the flock after all.) If he's got a brooder buddy, they'll probably hook back up and work their way into the flock together, but maybe still need a little help from you. He'll need the most protection from any other roosters and the middle/low pecking order girls. If your run area is small, you're going to have a much harder time at it (I'm guessing it's not because of the goats?). Make sure there are a couple of hiding places in and out of the coop (something that only he can get under and doesn't have enough room for anyone bigger to stand up in; piece of scrap fence in the corner with large enough openings for him to fit through; cut a small arch/doorway in two sides of a cardboard box or plastic storage tub, and some air holes; etc.). Stand there while you're feeding, and don't feed him separate if the others can see (unless you're doing the dog cage thing, then feed the older ones first and make sure they don't run out of food before he does - jealousy is a yellow-eyed tiny dinosaur). Once he's big enough to (fly up to the) roost with them, make sure everyone else is in bed, then put him up there in an open spot after dark. You might have to do that until he starts getting up there on his own. It's crazy, but I think they'd accept a cat or hawk as one of their own if they suddenly woke up with them in the morning!
You won't get it right 100% of the time, but you'll get there, and he'll get there with you.
Another option is to get the goats to accept him, no one will mess with them!
The following is what I've observed in my own flock to hopefully alleviate some of your worry:
It seems that cockerels tend to be loners naturally, however my oldest boy is a Spitzhauben, and they're kind of loners anyway. I have two 22 week old EE hens, nine 14 week old pullets (multiple breeds), one 14 week old Spitzhauben rooster (crowing at 11 weeks), two 10 week Ameraucana pullets, two 10 week cockerels (spitz and ameraucana), and six, 6 week old chicks (spitz and ameraucana). (22 total, 3 confirmed males.) The younglings are allowed full access to the rest of the flock by 5-6 weeks old (hiding places, but no separation). Usually I let them roost where they want for a few nights (floor, hiding spot, etc.), then I'll put them on an empty, low roost every night until they realize that they're allowed to be up there. They'll cry like puppies for the first couple of nights. Mine all seem to line up from left to right in the pecking order at night, even though the middle perch is the highest
.The big girls (22 and 14 weeks) didn't take to the rooster at all, even though all the 14 week olds were brooded together. He was a loner when foraging, slept alone, and ate last. Once he started crowing, he gained a bit more acceptance as he started pushing to the front of the line. All the girls still chase him off if they're not being tolerant that day, but now he's got 2 brooder buddies that hang most of the day and sleep with him. The two times I've seen him try to breed, he's gotten his butt kicked though
. The younger four were brooded together, and it seems that the Ameraucana cockerel is submissive to the spitz, they're best buddies and haven't tried to fight at all. Only the spitz has tried to crow a few times, but I'm pretty sure he's trying to keep it on the DL because of the older rooster (they've not fought either). They're still working on getting accepted on the (higher) perch at night, eat after the older chickens, and get chased off a lot. If I'm in there while a big girl is pecking at one of the younger ones on that high perch, usually because the big girl got there late, AND the pecking is bad, I'll peck her with my finger (generally on the shoulder) every time she pecks at the younger one, eventually she grumbles out of the way and settles in without further bullying. (There's plenty of room on the perch.) If there's a real problem, bully gets put on the floor and has to re-roost until she stops picking at them for the evening, I've only ever had to do that twice.
Note that I lightly put my hand on each chicken's back at night once they've perched to maintain my alpha status. I do this while counting or talking to them, the longer or louder they grumble, the longer my hand stays. I don't hold them down, but if they consistently freak out, I'll pick them up and hold them for a minute, then put them back on the perch once they quiet down. This shouldn't be necessary once everyone is fully integrated, sexually mature, and able to be handled well enough to do health exams. This is generally how I hold them:
The babies (6 weeks) have been fully in the coop for a week now. They still stay inside all day because there's a cat that's been coming around looking for snacks. When everyone else is let out in the morning, they jump down and eat. Since they can't leave, they're also the first to roost at night, and they've all decided to park on the highest-of-the-pecking-order big girls' perch. The big girls weren't too keen on that at first, but they really haven't bothered them. I'm pretty sure that will change when the babies take up more space.
I have 14 ducks and drakes from two hatches too, and they're also about 4-5 weeks apart. They share the yard with the chickens. The ducks have their flock as do the chickens, but they all will tend to hang out with their brooder buddies during the day, regardless of how well they get along with each other. Other than a bowl in the coop for the babies, they all eat together without bowls. I pour the feed out in a line on the ground every morning and evening (unless there's bad weather, chickens get a bowl under cover, the ducks don't care). I do that mostly for weed control, but I found that if everyone can eat at the same time and they all "fit at the trough", then I don't have many problems with bullying. We all eat bbq potato chips together every couple of weeks (hand feeding lets me watch the flock dynamics, look for health issues, and stay a "member" of the flock even though I'm not with them 24/7; chips because they crumble and they have to stick around to eat them off the ground instead of running off with a treat like they're playing football).
Other notes about my particular setup and qualifications: My coop is a large open-air hoop coop, I gave up on the ducks going into their separate coop at night a few weeks ago
, they sleep in the yard. The yard is huge (about 1/4 acre), and I hope that and a high female to male ratio will prevent problems in the near future. If not, it's big enough to separate into smaller yards. I am a biologist and former zookeeper and trainer for two very large "worlds" in Florida, so I have a bit of experience in animal behavior and husbandry (chickens are new to me though).TL;DR:
So I guess my point here is, if there's a huge age difference and he's alone, you're going to have to intervene to allow him to be accepted. (You are the Alpha of the flock after all.) If he's got a brooder buddy, they'll probably hook back up and work their way into the flock together, but maybe still need a little help from you. He'll need the most protection from any other roosters and the middle/low pecking order girls. If your run area is small, you're going to have a much harder time at it (I'm guessing it's not because of the goats?). Make sure there are a couple of hiding places in and out of the coop (something that only he can get under and doesn't have enough room for anyone bigger to stand up in; piece of scrap fence in the corner with large enough openings for him to fit through; cut a small arch/doorway in two sides of a cardboard box or plastic storage tub, and some air holes; etc.). Stand there while you're feeding, and don't feed him separate if the others can see (unless you're doing the dog cage thing, then feed the older ones first and make sure they don't run out of food before he does - jealousy is a yellow-eyed tiny dinosaur). Once he's big enough to (fly up to the) roost with them, make sure everyone else is in bed, then put him up there in an open spot after dark. You might have to do that until he starts getting up there on his own. It's crazy, but I think they'd accept a cat or hawk as one of their own if they suddenly woke up with them in the morning!
You won't get it right 100% of the time, but you'll get there, and he'll get there with you.
Another option is to get the goats to accept him, no one will mess with them!
