Don't know if my pullets are large enough to add in with my rooster

[smallflock3]

I have some beautiful Standard Partridge Cochin pullets that are 5 months old. They have an 18 month old Standard Partridge Cochin rooster waiting for them to be introduced to. He weighs 8 pounds and is very good natured. My only worries is that the pullets aren't big enough yet. They just seem so much smaller when compared to him. Maybe it's a common sense thing but I don't know. Does anyone have any Standard Cochin flocks that could shed some light on this? I don't want to do the wrong thing! Should I weigh the pullets?

 

[gogfan]

well, I babysitted with some of my friends chickens and she had some of those type of chickens. the hens were a year old, weighed about 6 pounds. If anything the time you should start introudusing the rooster will be any time a year and older.(i know this becuase of research of them) and that goes for any type of chicken.... if any one wanted to know.

hope this helped-
gogfan

 

[CMV]

At 5 months old they are ready to be integrated. There is going to be a size disparity between hens and roos anyways, meaning the hens will never be as big as the roo. At 5 months these pullets are pretty close to be full sized skeletally. They will not reach their full weight until they are well over a year old, closer to 2 y.o. They are mature enough to be integrated with a roo. Keep an eye on things and if they appear to be getting beaten up then separate them, but I don't foresee a problem. I start pullet integrations at 12 weeks, and usually have them fully integrated by 16 weeks.

Good luck.

 

[smallflock3]

Thanks for the help,
I guess it's just the Cochin Rooster's size that scared me. He's just a big baby but I'll keep my eye on him. He'll be real happy to have company.