Help! I CANNOT get my new rooster integrated into my flock

[staceyl]

I have a small backyard flock. This year I have 4 "mature" girls and 2 newbies - one girl and one boy. I have always used the same process to integrate my new ones - a supervised hour a day for a week, then unsupervised time, slowly building up to all day and then overnight. Last year, I did have a problem - I rushed it because we were going out of town, and one of my babies got pecked to death. ;(

So this year, the supervised hour was going fine and then we were going away for the weekend. Not wanting to repeat my mistake, I just left the newbies in their baby accommodations. When I came back, I attempted to start where i left off - its a no go. I can't even put the new ones in there for a short time without my big girls beating the snot out of the rooster (they don't seem concerned about the girl, and they have lived with roosters before, so this is not that new).

So, I cordoned off part of the run and put the little ones in it during the day for a week thinking that would help. This week I started putting the little ones in the main part of the run for short times, and same result - they are pecking the rooster bloody, and he just buries his head in the corner.

Today I put them out there together and when I went out to check a little bit ago, the rooster had simply flown over the divider (it has to be low, so I can step over it, since there is not other access to the run other than the main door), and is hanging out in the young chicken area, while the old girls and the new girls are hanging out in the main area. I doubt the big girls will be able to cross the divider and get him, since they are a bit heftier and probably not that motivated to do so.

So, what now - do I leave him there and let HIM decide to fly back over? Will he ever? I don't think I can leave him there at night, since he would likely not cross over to sleep in the coop and its a bit cold here at night.

Sorry, this is so long, but I welcome any advice. I am FRUSTRATED!!!!

 

[staceyl]

Anyone? Was I unclear, or is it just that no one has any ideas?

 

[off-grid hen]

Sounds like a bad situation. How old were the younger ones when you introduced them? If he's bloody, they'll keep going after him. I also think the divider needs to be higher, or maybe the others will fly over it and attack him?

I'm really hoping someone with more experience chimes in, good luck.

 

[staceyl]

They were a couple of months when I started trying to combine them.

I don't think I need the fence higher. They've been out there for a week, and as long as he stays on his side of the fence, they are fine. I could keep up the current system for a while, except that the little ones don't have a place to sleep out in the run, and we are going out of town for 2 weeks at the beginning of July. Its a bit much to ask a neighbor to move them in and out of our outbuilding every day. I do not want to keep them in the outbuilding during the day because its very hard to clean out the box I have them in, and the lighting is very poor. I think they need the outside if possible.

I am thinking of just getting them a small dog crate to sleep in - then I can leave them in their side for as long as I need too, and it only requires them neighbor to check two feeders and waters instead of one - probably not a big deal. Think that'll work? But then do I try and integrate them again when we return? By then, the rooster should be a lot bigger than all the girls.

Oh, and should I go ahead and move the young girl in with the big girls? That would leave the rooster by himself, but he is on the other side of the fence so he can still see everyone. I'm afraid that might make him crazy. We had a rooster who lived by himself for a while, because he was adopted from the city and took a while to integrate. He turned out to be so mean, we had to make enchiladas out of him.

 

[staceyl]

Well, today he just flew over the divider the minute I put him in. I tossed him back on the big girl's side and he actually went after the meanest girl and when she turned around to get him, he flew back over. Sneaky, little rooster. He is nearly as big as the mature girls, so you'd think they could work things out! I'm going to remove the divider later today when I am able to check on them every 10 minutes or so. Maybe with a little more room, they can settle their differences.

 

[Ms Ellen]

HE might have flown in to the pen to sleep with them anyway. It is good to give him a place to get away if he needs to. Could you just leave him and see what happens at night? Go out when it is getting dark to see. I wouldn't leave him without some type of hideout from the hens.

 

[staceyl]

I actually took out the divider before I saw this post. They've been out a couple of hours and all is pretty peaceful - a little pecking, but no blood and no head burying. Maybe they just needed the extra space? They also seem to have been distracted by suddenly getting access to the feeder that I had put out there for the little ones. Its the same kind of feeder they have with the same feed, but chickens aren't too bright and I'm perfectly wiling to leave it out there until they empty it. I think I will take your advice and put up the divider whenever I can't go out there and check them periodically.
I need to figure out the shrugging shoulders icon - then I would put it here.

 

[staceyl]

And after nearly a whole day - everyone is still happy. He even discovered the way into the coop. If everyone goes to bed tonight I will be happy. Although I think I may give him an escape hatch if I have to leave for more than a couple of hours.
Thanks to the two of you that replied. But it figures that as soon as I get desperate and ask for help, the problem goes away. Just like taking my car to the mechanic....