How long before my girls will accept new roo?

[sourland]

I, also, agree 100% with @aart. This is a completely different scenario than introducing a rooster to a mature hen flock.

 

[CalliBee]

Ok let me rephrase the original question then I was trying to find a simple answer with a simple question but now realize semantics do matter in this situation.

I have 11 four month old pullets, and 4 ducks, 2 of which are four months old and 2 are three months old(one of them is a drake)
I use to have 4 month old cockerel until a week ago he was “cock-napped” in the middle of the night. Before that, him and my girls and ducks all got a long well. He respected the drake as highest in the pecking order but he wasn’t far below them, as the pullets had taken a liking to him.
When looking into getting a new one I was going to go with a more mature one, but my fear was he would be too mean to the ducks. But I found a lady looking to re home her 4 month old feather legged bantam. He also was use to living with ducks, nice to the girls but higher in the pecking order(below the ducks). And very sweet to the lady that owned him. I liked the fact that he’s much smaller than the girls so if he does act up, they can put him in his place.

My ducks have always been nice and accepting to any new comers so I think they’ll be easy on him, just was curious over all if bringing a boy into the flock was easier or harder than in bringing a girl. Seems it ain’t so!

 

[Mrs. K]

You may have to keep the cockerel separated until the pullets are laying.

I agree, generally cockerels can develop ugly behaviors around 3-4 months of age. The cockerel that you lost - was just getting to this age.

Cockerels are interested in sex, long before the pullets are, which is shortly before laying. So if you can keep him separated, for that much time, it would help very much. If you can take him back and wait a year, it would be better. A cockerel raised up under older hens seems to give you the best shot of this all working.

Know that how a cockerel behaves today, has little influence on how he behaves tomorrow, they are rather a crapshoot.

I understand it is not good to keep a drake with hens.

Mrs K

 

[CalliBee]

I understand it is not good to keep a drake with hens.

Through my research I found it’s ok to keep drakes and hens together as long as he has enough ducks to keep him company. He has 3 girls to choose from so fingers crossed he’ll be contempt with that

 

[CalliBee]

So far I’m keeping him in quarantine for another 2 weeks and will see how he does in a divided part of the run. I’m prepared (mentally, that is) that he may not work out, or may just be too much of a teenage boy. He will have to work to prove himself if he wants to be around my girls!
So far he’s a sweet boy to me, which I know could change but I’m going to keep working with him to become conditioned to being held and lots of snacks! I hate I don’t have any of my mature hens anymore to teach him a lesson or 2, but we’ll see how this goes!
I’ll be happy to provide updates if any ones interested!

 

[Mrs. K]

good luck, but you are adding a lot of stress to your flock with all those variables. Drake with chickens, new cockerel that is a stranger to the flock, added to pullets not laying. I think you might have a lot of unexpected problems soon. Do update.

How big of set up do you have? That can make or break things too.

 

[CalliBee]

good luck, but you are adding a lot of stress to your flock with all those variables. Drake with chickens, new cockerel that is a stranger to the flock, added to pullets not laying. I think you might have a lot of unexpected problems soon.

Oh no, I’m not adding the ducks and drakes in. They’ve all been together since day one so the pullets are use to them and really enjoy them. I’ve caught a couple of them trying to follow them into the pond!

 

[SourRoses]

Hmm I did not know this. It’s my first time owning a roo (besides my other one but he was just a few months old before he got snatched). Do you have any video examples of what I should look for? This one is also only 3-4 months old so not sure if he’s old enough to tidbit

This study has some great info - Sophisticated Fowl
Section 3. The Social Life of Fowl is about a third of the way down.
I'm a reader not a visual learner, so I can't offer you videos.

If you're planning on your rooster being subdominant to a drake permanently, you should know he may never become the rooster you want him to be. The dominant male chicken is in charge of most of the security and gets most of the "fun time". It's asking a lot of his brain to comprehend the contradiction in roles with a drake who is in charge / not in charge. It could also lead to fights and injuries.

So far, as other respondents have pointed out, you've only dealt with these birds all together in their immature state... soon there will be hormonal issues and it's not just a matter of a roo joining some hens.
Growing Pains PLUS Different Species PLUS a New Male added to the mix. That is a lot of factors leading up to a potential catastrophe.

I've also heard that drakes abuse hens, and since their anatomy and methodology is different it can kill hens. It doesn't sound like a nice way to go.
If I were you I would repen the ducks, and if you really want a roo, keep him contained for long enough that the girls are laying age and he displays good courtship behaviors.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They are all about the same age, 3-4 months.

Immature juveniles, not mature adults. Totally different. You can always get individuals that don't fit the mold, but most adults are going to know their role in the flock and act like mature responsible adults. Immature juveniles are just that, kids.

At some point, if he hasn't already, the hormones are going to hit him. Some start at 12 weeks, some not until 20 weeks or maybe even later. With some it's not that bad but with most their hormones are telling them to dominate the flock. Become flock master. Most have very little, if any, control over those hormones.

The big behavior change you typically see is that they want to mate with the pullets. This is not about sex and fertilizing eggs, the pullets are often not laying yet so there are no eggs to fertilize. The mating act is about dominance. The one on the bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, whether willingly or by force. Usually only temporarily. It's almost always by force, the pullets do not want to be dominated by an immature brat. It can get rough. As someone in here once said, watching cockerels and pullets go through puberty is often not for the faint of heart.

I'm using weasel words like "typically" or "often" because you don't always see this. Sometimes it isn't bad at all but it happens often enough that this is what you can expect. If you can get through this phase they generally mellow out and make a nice calm flock. I've never had a pullet actually injured but it can be violent. Injuries are possible. And it can be upsetting for you to watch.

Aart is correct about them going from being called pullets and cockerels to hens and roosters at a year's age but I don't find that useful when talking about behaviors. Telling their age in weeks or months is much more helpful. Not all chickens mature at exactly the same age. My pullets tend to start acting like mature hens around the time they start to lay. That's usually around five to six months, but I've had some start by four months and some not start for many more months. I had one cockerel start acting like a mature rooster at five months, even the mature hens accepted him. Really rare. I've had one not mature enough to take over by 11 months, some people on here I trust say they've had some wait even longer. Most of mine manage that around 7 months but it can really vary. I think the girls have something to say about that too. Some are harder to dominate than others. That may be a big part of why the 5-month-old was successful, and the 11-month-old not so much. Each flock has its own dynamics.

My suggestion is to go by what you see. If it gets too rough for be ready and willing to isolate him. If you see blood isolate him immediately. Have a place ready where you can put him, a wire dog crate can work in an emergency but for long term I'd want him to have more room. At some point he will mature enough to get his hormones under control and the girls will accept him. I just don't know when that will be.

Good luck!

 

[CalliBee]

I’m aware of the differences between a pullet, hen, cockerel, and rooster. I apologize if my post was misleading. I was curious in general I guess if the process of introducing them was quicker or not. I didn’t expect it to get as technical as it did and I apologize!

But thank you all for your advice it’s been very helpful. I promise I’m not as dumb as a chicken owner as my posts (and possibly my previous ones as well) make me appear