- Jul 28, 2009
- 18
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Please suggest how to acclimate new chickens into an existing flock. Do you have suggestions?
How do we get our rooster to accept new hens and chicks that we introduced to him five days ago?
Our 3-year old Production Red rooster has been the sweetest, gentle, tame, friendly pet for the past two years. During his first year of life he was tormented by a dominant rooster until we cooked the tormentor into chicken stew. For the past two years Ricky has had no competitors.
Ricky has continued to be the most gentle, friendly pet we could ask for these past two years. He never runs away, and is always willing to be picked up and cuddled. We bring Ricky into our home each day and have always been so gentle with him.
Ricky's flock of seven hens recently dwindled down to two hens, due to predators and heat stress on hot summer days.
Earlier this week we purchased two Buff Orpington mother hens with 6 baby chicks.
Ricky Rooster attacks the newly introduced hens and chicks fiercely. Fortunately the baby chicks are more fleet of foot or he would have probably killed them. Ricky even attacks the mother hens when we are cuddling them in our laps. I had to swat Ricky away, knocking him away from the hens, yet he would continue to attack the hens.
I am very upset over Ricky's displaying such animosity to the new hens. In the afternoons we have tried letting the two mother hens and baby chicks roam our large yard in the presence of Ricky. Ricky would chase them. He finally gave up molesting the hens after I soaked him with a high-pressure water hose. But I imagine he will continue his attacks tomorrow when we let him mingle with the new hens and chicks again.
Currently I have Ricky locked up in a large wire cage where the new hens and chicks can climb on top of the cage and live next to him without getting molested by him.
How do we get our rooster to accept new hens and chicks that we introduced to him five days ago?
Our 3-year old Production Red rooster has been the sweetest, gentle, tame, friendly pet for the past two years. During his first year of life he was tormented by a dominant rooster until we cooked the tormentor into chicken stew. For the past two years Ricky has had no competitors.
Ricky has continued to be the most gentle, friendly pet we could ask for these past two years. He never runs away, and is always willing to be picked up and cuddled. We bring Ricky into our home each day and have always been so gentle with him.
Ricky's flock of seven hens recently dwindled down to two hens, due to predators and heat stress on hot summer days.
Earlier this week we purchased two Buff Orpington mother hens with 6 baby chicks.
Ricky Rooster attacks the newly introduced hens and chicks fiercely. Fortunately the baby chicks are more fleet of foot or he would have probably killed them. Ricky even attacks the mother hens when we are cuddling them in our laps. I had to swat Ricky away, knocking him away from the hens, yet he would continue to attack the hens.
I am very upset over Ricky's displaying such animosity to the new hens. In the afternoons we have tried letting the two mother hens and baby chicks roam our large yard in the presence of Ricky. Ricky would chase them. He finally gave up molesting the hens after I soaked him with a high-pressure water hose. But I imagine he will continue his attacks tomorrow when we let him mingle with the new hens and chicks again.
Currently I have Ricky locked up in a large wire cage where the new hens and chicks can climb on top of the cage and live next to him without getting molested by him.