Getting a rooster for chicks

[Kraemer7]

Hi! I have 9 three week old chicks (supposed to be all female) of various different breeds. A friend has an adult rooster that she is saving for us. When’s the best time to introduce them? Techniques? Right now there in a brooder crate in my sons room but we will move them to the barn soon (with the heating plate) to give them more room. This is our first flock. Thanks!

 

[thehenandchick01234]

How old is the rooster?

 

[Kraemer7]

1 year

 

[thehenandchick01234]

I would personally wait 3 or 4 weeks to full on introduce them if your friend is okay keeping it that long.

 

[McChooky]

You need a rooster once they start laying if you want to raise more baby chicks.An adult rooster will try to breed with the chicks before they're old enough especially since you don't have adult hens .

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I would just make a separate area for him to live until they're laying. Without any hens old enough, he'll likely try to breed them when they're still small

 

[thehenandchick01234]

Omg I feel so bad i thought you put that they were nine weeks old.

 

[BoogieWight]

Yeah if this is your first time with chickens I would be safe and give the little ones some time to put their running shoes on. You will see what I mean when you have a rooster that hasn't matured enough to calm down yet. Most of them are sexual assault artist until one day they just aren't. Some of them stay ready for a rape charge their whole life, especially lower ranked one in a large flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When’s the best time to introduce them?

The best time is when a couple of them are laying. That should work out pretty well.

Techniques?

Once they start laying I consider the pullets to act like mature hens. To me the best technique for adding a mature rooster to a flock of mature hens is to just put them together. That's usually the easiest integration there is. He mates with a one or two to show he is boss and they are his flock and it is over. It doesn't always work that way but it usually does.

 

[Tonyroo]

Don't mingle your chicks with an adult rooster, unless you wanna see your chicks get damaged and hurt.

I've seen it happen with my older cockerels trying to mate with my chicks outside. The father of the chicks try to intervene but it's hard for him to manage the hens and chicks there usually roaming in two different areas.

The 2 older cockerels are slated for freezer camp this coming weekend so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Wait for the chicks to get bigger, preferably before they start laying. Then they can defend themselves if the rooster gets too rough which will happen.