How long do I wait to introduce a rooster to my pullets?

[mallory2013]

Hey all
I do not have my little babies yet (they will be leaving the hatchery June 20th and hopefully be here the 21st!!) but I would like to get a rooster eventually and I was wondering how old the pullets have to be before I introduce him to them. However, I may get a rooster in my box o'pullets (hopefully not) and that would solve the problem, but in the chance that they all turn out to be pullets, I will defintely be getting a rooster. My main concern is that he will be mean to them. Thanks for any help!

 

[Rocky Road]

I had the exact same thing! I got a straight run of 24 chicks and I knew I wanted at least 10 hens out of it and the rest will go to the freezer. Now I did want to get another rooster with a different blood line and then introduce them. The roosters I got were about 10 months (3 of them) and when I introduced them to my 24 chicks at 5-6 weeks I was surprised that it was my chicks defending their coop and beating up the roosters. So I was glad I got the roosters while they were big and introduced them when my chicks were not full grown otherwise they would have destroyed the roosters. Now they all get along and cuddle together

I do recommend keeping new roosters quarantined for at least 30 days (to make sure they don't have diseases) and then to gently introduce them with chicken wire or some sort of barrier between them. this didn't work for me because the one rooster barrelled right through . . haha. but they ended up not being aggresive and the little ones were defending themselves.

Good Luck!

 

[ih66series]

Roosters typically won't be mean to hens because it is his duty to care for them.

 

[teach1rusl]

I guess ideally you'd have a rooster in the bunch, since you want one. If not, it will really depend on the rooster. I wouldn't want a full grown rooster jumping on my 14 week old pullets, who aren't even filled out and laying yet. If junior did that, it's more understandable, but not a big roo. But some mature roos KNOW when a pullet is considered mature, and won't bother them until then. Personally, I'd wait until the girls were laying, and it'd be a mature roo known to be gentle, not some overly hormonal, clumsy and overeager rough youth.

 

[mallory2013]

Quote:
Thats good to hear! I am thinking of getting a roo off of craigslist, and usually the ones that I have found are adults and I was worried about the possibility of him being mean but it sounds like your girls were the opposite! Haha thank you for your reply

 

[mallory2013]

Quote:
Yes that was what I was worried about! The roo trying to mate the young pullets. Thank you very mcuh for your advise! I think I will wait until they are laying to introduce a roo.