greetings from Nova Scotia

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barred123

barred123

Hatching
5 Years
Nov 2, 2014
2
0
7
I'm still relatively new to being a chicken keeper. I have had a mere two flocks under my watch, one which I have recently relocated to a friends property. My second flock is comprised of 8 hens, two of them being Rhode Island Reds, 4 Barred Plymouth Rocks and 2 Columbian rocks. They're just reaching reproductive maturity, laying small eggs a little sporadically. I have just acquired an Australorp rooster of a similar age, maybe 3 weeks younger. I've tried a slow introduction into the flock and for the most part it seems to have been successful. All Barred Rocks, as well as the Rhode Island Reds, seem to have accepted him. However, with that being said, the two Columbian Rocks are giving him a hard time, actively seeking him out to peck at him and chase him around. This doesn't really come as a surprise to me, taking into account that they were definately the dominant birds in the flock before the introduction of the roo. I was just wondering if there's anything I can do to ease the situation, I feel bad for the poor fella, they've got him running scared eventhough he's twice their size, and I'm a little concerned they may injure him.
 
Welcome to BYC!
frow.gif
We're glad to have you.

Many hens will push young roosters around, until the rooster gets older, more mature, and stronger. Make sure that he can get away from them somewhere, and he should be fine, eventually. High roosts or special hiding spots are good ideas. Be on the lookout for any serious injuries; if they draw blood, you may have to isolate him until he "grows up".
 
welcome-byc.gif
Glad you joined us!

Wyandottes7 gave you some good advice. It is relatively normal for younger males to get picked on by older, dominant hens. As he matures, it should become less of a problem.

Good luck!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


X3 on that many times young cockerels can get picked on. If the aggression gets bad enough, you may need to separate him until he gets older. Once he is more mature, they will probably leave him alone and he will take top spot.

For now, make sure to leave out more feeders and water stations. The other birds can guard these areas and starve out the new birds. Make sure there are places for him to get away from the main flock and keep your eyes on everybody. If you have to "Jail" a bird for a day or so, do so. I have done this in the past with great success when mixing in new birds. Gives the newbies a chance to get used to their surroundings while the meanies stay caged for a bit.

Good luck with your flock and welcome to ours!
 
Thanks for the replies. I've made sure to have plenty of perches at various heights and do have a couple of feeders already(each at opposite ends of the coop). Would that be suffice or should I add more feeders? I've also been tossing in a handful of sunflower seeds or cracked corn at various intervals to keep them distracted.
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good suggestions above. If they are keeping him out of the coop during the day, you might try adding a feeder and waterer out side also for now. If you have Pinless Peepers, you could consider putting them on the two bullys for a little while.
 
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. You've been given some good suggestions regarding your hens getting along with your Black Australorp rooster. Hopefully everything will work out well as a BA rooster will breed both gentleness and egg productivity into your flock. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in your rooster adjusting.
 
Welcome to the flock. You might try adding some things to distract the meanies - you could hang a head of cabbage just out of reach, so the birds have to jump to get some. This can keep them busy and wear them out . There are parrot toys that have places to stick some treats or goodies and the bird has to work to retrieve them. They would work for chickens as well.
 

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