Do I need to split my flock?

[Texas Chicken Mom]

I have four barred rocks hens that are 18 months old. One went broody in June and hatched four chicks from six donated hatching eggs.i noticed today that Mom has basically returned to running with her sisters and the chicks now two months old have formed their separate flock. I only have one coop and I noticed the older hens have taken to roosting outside on the run perches at night while the one pullet and three cockerels are sleeping inside the coop. Should I isolate the cockerels I a separate coop and allow the one pullet to integrate with the older hens? I won’t need three roosters once they all mature, so do I neee to rehire them now? Thanks in advance for your advice and suggestions!

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes I would pull the 3 cockerels ASAP. And I would then physically put the older hens in the coop. At night they are relatively easy to move.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

one pullet and three cockerels

Am going thru this now.
Kept the boys until 2 of them started mounting at about 12-14 weeks.
The 3rd was very docile and submissive, so kept him as a buddy for the single pullet.
Worked great for about 1-2 weeks, when he started to crow and mount.
Now he's gone and she's 'alone', she gets along OK, but it's hard to watch.
I have a big coop and 2 runs, all with lots of roosts, and multiple feed and water stations in the coop.
I give her a separate treat(scratch and feed) up on the roost when the others are outside eating their scratch while I clean. Pretty sure sh'es getting enough to eat and no one chases her too badly.
It'll work OK in the end, I think, once she starts laying it should improve.

 

[Ridgerunner]

four barred rocks hens that are 18 months old. four chicks now two months old have formed their separate flock.

This all sounds normal, pretty much what I'd expect to see.

I only have one coop and I noticed the older hens have taken to roosting outside on the run perches at night while the one pullet and three cockerels are sleeping inside the coop.

This does not sound normal. I'd expect the hens to be inside and the chicks outside or maybe sleeping on the cop floor.. Those chicks are still babies regardless of sex and the hens outrank them in the pecking order. How big in feet is that coop? Run too while I'm asking. Could you post a photo so we can see what it looks like inside the coop and maybe one overall so we can see how they are tied together. We all have different conditions, maybe there is something about your set-up that might explain this.

Should I isolate the cockerels I a separate coop and allow the one pullet to integrate with the older hens?

The only behavior you mention is those hens moving outside to sleep. Are you seeing any other behaviors that look like trouble? At 8 weeks those hens shouldn't even notice that those are boys. I've had a very few boys hit puberty at 12 weeks, most are in the 15 to 17 week range before those behaviors show up,

As Aart said it can be a little harder to integrate a single chicken, especially a younger one. The hens tend to keep the juveniles away until they mature enough to join is as a full flock member, typically around when she starts to lay. With cockerels there are no guidelines, but it should be later in puberty. I had one at 15 weeks, some go close to a year.

I'd make the decision to isolate the boys based on their behaviors. Go by what you see happening instead of a calendar. There is something going on I don't understand. But definitely have a place ready to put them on short notice.

I won’t need three roosters once they all mature, so do I neee to rehire them now?

I think that is a good decision, to not try to keep them all. How do you plan to get rid of them? Your options are to eat, sell, give away, kill and dispose of the bodies, or house them in isolation in a bachelor pad. You can eat them at 2 months but there won't be much meat there. For that reason you might want to keep them around so they grow before butcher. To avoid leaving that pullet alone any more than necessary I'd wait to remove the last boy until there is a need. But now would be a good time to remove two of them.

Kept the boys until 2 of them started mounting at about 12-14 weeks.

Aart, I assume they were mounting the one pullet, not the mature hens?

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

I would agree with @aart on this one.

 

[aart]

Aart, I assume they were mounting the one pullet, not the mature hens?

Pretty much, tho they were trying the hens too.
Willie(3yo cock) was busy trying to keep them in line.
Straw that broke those cockerels backs was when I witnessed them both going after a CLB hen. She fought them off feet up, but sure glad I was there to break it up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My hens run to the rooster when cockerels start bothering them. Some years it isn't bad but some years he gets worn to a frazzle. In some ways it's fun to watch. The hen runs toward the rooster with the cockerel following. When he sees that rooster he does a very quick change of direction.

I typically don't see the 12 to 14 week old cockerels bother the mature hens but they will the pullets their age. Our set-ups are a little different so not surprising we see different things.

 

[Texas Chicken Mom]

The coop is 4 x 6 elevated off the ground. There are two nesting boxes inside and two intersecting roosts inside. All four barred rocks were sleeping inside before Judy went broody. Sometimes when it is 80+ degree at night here in Texas, they like to roost outside in the run. The coop is inclosed in a 10x10 chain link dog run. The outside of the run is covered in hardware cloth over the chain link so no raccoons can reach through. Also the roof is covered with a tin roof for shade and protection from aerial predators. There is a three foot suspended perch from the roof of the run and the food and water feeders are located there as well.

 

[Texas Chicken Mom]

I just checked my phone and I don’t have any pics of the coop or run only the chickens. Sorry, I will have to take some when I get home from work.