Help - agressive young roo, young flock

[quiltinmoma]

I have two coops and runs. One houses one Easter Egger Rooster who manages 15 girls. They are a year old. The other one houses our first hatchlings and a few from a breeder, born this spring.

All of the chicks we hatched have the same daddy and mom is either one of our Buffs or one white girl with hair on her legs.

We got three marans from a breeder: blue copper maran, black copper maran,and a white maran plus one ameraucana, and one crested polish.

For sure the white maran is a roo. He is trying to crow. He is mean to a few of the girls; particulary the crested polish and two of our hatchlings. The hatchling don't have any tail feathers. He will chase the crested polish around and pecks at her head.

I think we have other roos in the flock but they haven't shown major roo signs.

Question: If I put the white maran roo in with the older roo in the other run, would he get put in his place? Would the older roo tame the younger one?

I don't want to cull the maran if I can help it... not only is he our sons but he could get me some maran babies!

Thanks, all.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well yes....... kind of, but might very well kill him too. You do not say how old the chicks are. If they are a lot smaller than the older flock, putting in a single bird is pretty ugly, generally speaking.

For 6 of the last 7 years, I have had a broody hen raise my chicks in the flock. The roosters that grew up in a flock, were better behaved to me and to the other hens. The year, I raised a rooster in with just his flock mates, he out grew the pullets quickly, matured earlier and was mean to everything. I culled him.

So, I agree that an older flock will chastise a younger roo, and if it is part of the flock, it will just be that. However, if it is from a strange flock, or a separate flock, it might be a death warrent

Mrs K

 

[Den in Penn]

How old are the younger chickens? You got the Marans in the spring but when and when did the chicks hatch? If he is old enough you could put him in with the mature chickens, they would teach him manners. If he is between 10 and 14 weeks the older rooster will not see him as a competator yet, so not do more then keep him in his place. If he is older he may be mature enough that the rooster will see him as a competator and a struggel will happen. Could you keep him seperate for a few weeks until they rest of his group mature a little more?