He just doesn't fit in...advice??

[MontanaDolphin]

Ok, so last week I had to cull my 10 month old BR cockerel due to aggressive behavior. The same day I got 2 new cockerels...well, I got one, and my mom got one too...and she just happens to live with me, so essentially I now have 2 cockerels...both 18 weeks old. I kept them isolated...or what I thought was isolated...for three days, until I realized (after reading some posts here on BYC) since they were just in separate enclosures right next to the run my girls are in, it's not quarantine...they are sharing the same air space, as well as being able to peck the ground my girls walked on. So, since there was no point anymore, I added them to my flock of 8 BR and BR cross pullets (9 and 10 months old).

Kokopelli...my mom's EE cockerel...was a member of the flock by the end of the day. He has mounted females, and when he calls them they come running. Whew, at least they accepted ONE of the new guys.



Pipsqueak is my guy. He's a Chocolate Orpington bantam. He is obviously a lot smaller than the rest...even the EE roo that's the same age. All my girls and the EE ignore him. At first the girls would peck at him and such, but now he just doesn't go near them. If they are in the run, he's in the coop...if they are in the coop, he's in the run. I have to pick him up and put him on the roost with the rest of them at night because he hides in the nesting boxes to sleep.


Today was the first day I let them free range together. Kokopelli stuck with the girls. Pipsqueak (Pip of course, for short) stayed a good distance from all of them. If one or more of the pullets headed in his direction, he took off in the opposite. Then, when it was dusk and time to close up the chickens for the night, I couldn't find Pip. Kokopelli and the girls were in the run and in the coop. Took me about 30 minutes, but I finally found him...roosting in a tree about 150 feet from the coop.

I feel so bad for him. He has got to be the sweetest chicken I've ever seen. He comes running when he sees me or hears my voice. He stood on my steps looking in the patio door window clucking away today...like he was saying "Mommy, where are you? Please let me in!" LOL. I love him. He snuggles in my hair, purrs at me...I love it!

It breaks my heart that he doesn't have any friends. He's always all by himself, and I can't be outside all day paying attention to him...I have a house to run and kids to take care of. I don't know how to help him, and I have no idea if he will ever be a part of the flock...or is he doomed to be a loner forever? Is it because he's so small? Should I go buy him a buddy???

 

[MrPaterax]

I just can't. He sounds so sweet. Maybe try removing koko? Or try isolating them somewhere were he has to confront the other hens? Somewhere we he can't hide.

 

[aart]

2 roosters is 1 too many for 8 hens and obviously Koko is the one to keep.
Pip may never fit in, sometimes it just takes time. I'm surprised Koko hasn't tromped him, but he may yet.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

2 roosters is 1 too many for 8 hens and obviously Koko is the one to keep.
Pip may never fit in, sometimes it just takes time. I'm surprised Koko hasn't tromped him, but he may yet.

I know it's too many roos for one hen...I guess I didn't tell ya'll my plans for Pip. He's going to have a separate flock, but not until the chicks are fully feathered out and can go into my second coop. I'm worried, though, that it will affect him if he doesn't have a flockmate until then, since it's still a few weeks away yet. So I wondered if I should get another pullet for him in the meantime. The friend I got him from has Choc. Orp. bantam pullets as well, and I can get one to keep him company.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did those 2 cockerels grow up together or did they come from separate flocks? If they grew up together, they may be okay, but if not he could be hurt badly by the other guy. I have found that unless they are raised together, putting 2 roosters together is dangerous. As long as your banty stays out of the way, he should be alright until you get him some girls. Even the hens are probably picking on him. Be sure and quarantine for 30 days next time. There are too many diseases you can bring in to destroy your whole flock.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Did those 2 cockerels grow up together or did they come from separate flocks? If they grew up together, they may be okay, but if not he could be hurt badly by the other guy. I have found that unless they are raised together, putting 2 roosters together is dangerous. As long as your banty stays out of the way, he should be alright until you get him some girls. Even the hens are probably picking on him. Be sure and quarantine for 30 days next time. There are too many diseases you can bring in to destroy your whole flock.

Yes, they came from the same flock. The girls do pick on him, if he gets in their way...otherwise they leave him alone.

And yeah, I know about the quarantine...it was a noob mistake I made. I thought as long as they weren't in the same run and coop, that it meant they were quarantined. I didn't know that you have to keep them in a totally separate area, use different feed scoops, etc., to have it be a true quarantine. I know better now.

That being said, if I do get the female COB, I shouldn't have to quarantine her from the roo, right? Because she's coming from the same flock as Pip came from. And I wouldn't be putting her with the EE and my girls...I'd be putting her with Pip in a separate area (I have a movable pen I'm planning on keeping them in for 30 days together, because the second coop is part of the same structure as my original coop...the only separation between the two coops is a wall, and I do not know if that's enough for it to be a true quarantine for them).

 

[aart]

Oh, well, that's a different story....definitely get Pip a pullet or 2.
Quarantine's already a moot point, so put Pip and his new COB(s) in the 'second coop-that's really part of the same coop'.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Oh, well, that's a different story....definitely get Pip a pullet or 2.
Quarantine's already a moot point, so put Pip and his new COB(s) in the 'second coop-that's really part of the same coop'.

Ok, thanks!!

Here's what I mean about the coops...


The coop my chickens are in is the one on the left with the attached run. It is 4 ft wide by 8 ft long. The step stool you see is in front of it, those are nesting box doors. The second coop is the one with the windows. It is 8 ft wide by 13 ft long. That's the one I will put Pip in with his new girl...and then the chicks when they are old enough.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

I ended up picking up a female CO bantam...she's about a week younger than Pipsqueak. He is a happy cockerel!! And she sticks to him like glue

 

[MrPaterax]

Oh good! Nice to see a change