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Run for your life! (These peeps are crazy)!:wee:ya
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Meg-in-MT said:
Hello! Welcome to BYC!! :frow Are you having issues with integration?
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Hello. Thank you for the welcome!
I am having some difficulty with integration!
Ages:
4 Polish Ladies purchased February 28, 2020
3 Americauna Ladies September 8, 2020
1 Bantam Hen unsure of age. Aprox 7-9 months old
2 Polish Roosters Born September 2020

We realize now we have 1 too many roosters! They were brothers and we felt bad separating them. Our 4 Polish Ladies were laying daily. Then add two roosters we have one that lays. One rooster is head over heals for the Alpha polish. However, the pair have become over-bearing. 2 of our polish do not look well due to molt and the pair not letting them eat. Our other problem is the other rooster is not doing well now. He is just starting to crow. We have had to keep him separated from the "pair" because they peck on him. The Alpha rooster fights with him. So we have one rooster that is not very strong... he gets ran off from the food. We started to notice that he stumbled and fell a lot. We've checked him over for injuries, given vitamins & electrolytes, yet he is still not back up walking around good. He uses his wings to help him not fall. He liked to hide under a camper so that he would be left alone.
I know this is everyone's first molt. Taking both roosters was not a good idea, and we probably need to add more pullets if we were to keep both. We have ample room for all to free-range. Multiple feed & water areas. We have a big coop.
So were kind of at a loss on what's wrong with him and what to do. Any idea's would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
CknTenderOK said:
Hello. Thank you for the welcome!
I am having some difficulty with integration!
Ages:
4 Polish Ladies purchased February 28, 2020
3 Americauna Ladies September 8, 2020
1 Bantam Hen unsure of age. Aprox 7-9 months old
2 Polish Roosters Born September 2020

We realize now we have 1 too many roosters! They were brothers and we felt bad separating them. Our 4 Polish Ladies were laying daily. Then add two roosters we have one that lays. One rooster is head over heals for the Alpha polish. However, the pair have become over-bearing. 2 of our polish do not look well due to molt and the pair not letting them eat. Our other problem is the other rooster is not doing well now. He is just starting to crow. We have had to keep him separated from the "pair" because they peck on him. The Alpha rooster fights with him. So we have one rooster that is not very strong... he gets ran off from the food. We started to notice that he stumbled and fell a lot. We've checked him over for injuries, given vitamins & electrolytes, yet he is still not back up walking around good. He uses his wings to help him not fall. He liked to hide under a camper so that he would be left alone.
I know this is everyone's first molt. Taking both roosters was not a good idea, and we probably need to add more pullets if we were to keep both. We have ample room for all to free-range. Multiple feed & water areas. We have a big coop.
So were kind of at a loss on what's wrong with him and what to do. Any idea's would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
One of the biggest problems is your roosters are cockerels. They have not yet matured and settled into themselves. Taking on two cockerels at once will almost always cause chaos in an otherwise calm flock. Too many hormones and no mature birds to put them in their place. Where hens will give them a peck or run them off, a pullet is less likely to do so.

Do you have a way to separate one from the flock so that they can still see him, but not harass him? I would get the injured cockerel in his own pen (assuming it is an injury?) before he gets hurt even further. Or worse. Though, if he doesn't seem to be healing, I'd be concerned about the possibility Mareks or another issue.

Flock mix-ups will generally cause a stall in laying, but of course it's that time of year, too. Shorter days in conjunction with molting will drop production. I wouldn't be too concerned about that just yet.

If I were you, I would get rid of one. It's not impossible for them to eventually get along, but with so few females in the flock it's unlikely that the boys or girls or both will be run ragged.
 

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