Flock integrating

[Erinrae00]

How long does it take a flock/rooster to accept new hens?

A little over a month ago I added two new hens to my flock. They are smaller than all the rest of my flock, small breed I think. It's been over a month and he still hasn't accepted them. The other hens don't seem to care. But he chases them back into the run anytime I let them out to free-range or chases them away from the flock, pushes them out of food/treats. One seems a little more bold and able to handle it but the other seems to be stressed and not happy. They also havent started laying again either, but the rest of my flock is laying regularly.

Only way I've seen him care about them is when I've tried to handle them. He will act freaked out just as he has with the other hens.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

How did you introduce then? Did you just toss them in?

 

[Ridgerunner]

So they were laying before but are not now. That is interesting information. Are they molting? The best way to tell they are molting might be if you see extra feathers flying around. Are their combs and wattles bright red or sort of pink? Bright red generally means they are laying and eggs need to be fertilized. Pink means they are probably not laying and are not as sexually attractive.

Do they look that different from the other hens? Different colors/patterns? Silkie feathers or strange headdresses? Is he trying to mate with them? Where do they sleep, with the flock or separately? Are you north of the equator so it is fall?

I don't know if any of that has anything to do with his actions. Since he freaks out when you handle them he accepts them as part of the flock, he just doesn't want them to join the others. To me that sounds like strange behavior. Usually that would be the hens, not the rooster.

Since the two new ones were previously laying they are mature enough to join the flock. Often a lack of maturity causes problems but if they were laying they should be mature enough. Still, they will sometimes form sub-flocks and hang separately even when mature but with a sub-flock he should not be running them off food or keeping them away. That's what has really got me confused, him running them off of food. Are you sure they were laying before? Some of this behavior sounds like they could be immature pullets.

My first reaction is that as long as no one is getting physically hurt let it go and let them work it out. Integration can be stressful, there should be no long term effects of one of them being stressed out some now. Provide widely separated food and water stations to reduce competition.

My second thought is to lock the rooster up for a few days. See how the old and new hens react. If they merge into one flock he will probably accept them all when you release him.

I'm kind of stumped, some things just don't sound right. My standard approach is to let them work it out with as little interference from me as i can mange unless one is getting hurt. Good luck!

 

[Erinrae00]

So they were laying before but are not now. That is interesting information. Are they molting? The best way to tell they are molting might be if you see extra feathers flying around. Are their combs and wattles bright red or sort of pink? Bright red generally means they are laying and eggs need to be fertilized. Pink means they are probably not laying and are not as sexually attractive.

Do they look that different from the other hens? Different colors/patterns? Silkie feathers or strange headdresses? Is he trying to mate with them? Where do they sleep, with the flock or separately? Are you north of the equator so it is fall?

I don't know if any of that has anything to do with his actions. Since he freaks out when you handle them he accepts them as part of the flock, he just doesn't want them to join the others. To me that sounds like strange behavior. Usually that would be the hens, not the rooster.

Since the two new ones were previously laying they are mature enough to join the flock. Often a lack of maturity causes problems but if they were laying they should be mature enough. Still, they will sometimes form sub-flocks and hang separately even when mature but with a sub-flock he should not be running them off food or keeping them away. That's what has really got me confused, him running them off of food. Are you sure they were laying before? Some of this behavior sounds like they could be immature pullets.

My first reaction is that as long as no one is getting physically hurt let it go and let them work it out. Integration can be stressful, there should be no long term effects of one of them being stressed out some now. Provide widely separated food and water stations to reduce competition.

My second thought is to lock the rooster up for a few days. See how the old and new hens react. If they merge into one flock he will probably accept them all when you release him.

I'm kind of stumped, some things just don't sound right. My standard approach is to let them work it out with as little interference from me as i can mange unless one is getting hurt. Good luck!

Ok so the two new hens, I believe are a bantam type brown Leghorn(she has a big red comb) and a small game hen. They are both older than my flock by at least a year, my flock is about 7 months old.

Originally I had them in a separate coop right next to the main coop for a month. I did not let them free range, but I let the othera out as normal and they were able to be around the coop and see the other two girls. After a month I let them free range together, are which point I let them all go into the same coop together.

Side note, they were from my father in law, so they stopped laying at first because of the move, made sense, but the Leghorn still laid once or twice a week, I witnessed it so I know it was her, but the game hen has never laid to my knowledge since we got her.

It does look like ahw is molting possibly, defintely more feathers in the coop.

Another thing is that the Leghorn doesn't put up with any bullying, she protects the game hen if anyone is mean to her, she also seems to have no problem getting food. The game hen is the one always hiding out alone away from the flock when my rooster isn't pushing her out.

I live in northern Nevada, the temps just started dropping to the 30s at night.

Hopefully this helps! I'll grab pics if I can.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for the ages. Now it makes a lot more sense. I have sort of seen that before but your circumstances are different.

A mature hen sometimes expects a rooster to be a worthy father before she allows him to breed her. He should be magnificent enough to WOW! her with his self-confidence and glory. He should find the flock food, keep peace in the flock, be a look-out for danger, and do all the things a good flock master should do. A seven-month-old cockerel probably does not meet her standards. He seems to meet the pullets' standards.

In the absence of a worthy male flock master the dominant hen will sometimes assume some of his roles, but mainly she is the dominant one. She is often reluctant to give up that dominance until he matures enough to be worthy. Since he is bigger than her he is trying to win her over by force instead of winning her over by his behaviors and maturity.

I've had a five month old cockerel be able to take over a flock with mature hens in it but no dominant rooster. I had a cockerel that could not do that until he was eleven months old. His personality and the personality of the dominant hen both play into it. Often that transition is really peaceful but the 11 month old and the hen fought for about 2 days before she finally gave in. Actually it wasn't much of a fight. He'd attack her and she would run away. Then they became the best of buddies when she finally accepted his dominance.

I think what you are seeing is a battle for flock dominance, pretty peaceful so far. It may get violent, it may be peacefully resolved. It cold happen later today, it may yet be a month or more. He has his current flock of pullets which he can dominate.

I'd expect the other two to join that flock before too much longer. Until then I'd just let them work it out unless that hen gets injured.

 

[Erinrae00]

Thanks for the ages. Now it makes a lot more sense. I have sort of seen that before but your circumstances are different.

A mature hen sometimes expects a rooster to be a worthy father before she allows him to breed her. He should be magnificent enough to WOW! her with his self-confidence and glory. He should find the flock food, keep peace in the flock, be a look-out for danger, and do all the things a good flock master should do. A seven-month-old cockerel probably does not meet her standards. He seems to meet the pullets' standards.

In the absence of a worthy male flock master the dominant hen will sometimes assume some of his roles, but mainly she is the dominant one. She is often reluctant to give up that dominance until he matures enough to be worthy. Since he is bigger than her he is trying to win her over by force instead of winning her over by his behaviors and maturity.

I've had a five month old cockerel be able to take over a flock with mature hens in it but no dominant rooster. I had a cockerel that could not do that until he was eleven months old. His personality and the personality of the dominant hen both play into it. Often that transition is really peaceful but the 11 month old and the hen fought for about 2 days before she finally gave in. Actually it wasn't much of a fight. He'd attack her and she would run away. Then they became the best of buddies when she finally accepted his dominance.

I think what you are seeing is a battle for flock dominance, pretty peaceful so far. It may get violent, it may be peacefully resolved. It cold happen later today, it may yet be a month or more. He has his current flock of pullets which he can dominate.

I'd expect the other two to join that flock before too much longer. Until then I'd just let them work it out unless that hen gets injured.

Thanks so much for all the info! Never ever thought of that. Makes total sense now!! I can definitely see how that's happening now that I put it all together. Thank you for the help!

 

[123RedBeard]

In the meen time ... maybe add an extra feeder/waterer's ...

 

[Erinrae00]

In the meen time ... maybe add an extra feeder/waterer's ...

Yup already making some new feeders