I’m taking in my sisters rooster that’s 2 years old. Rest of my chickens are about 10 weeks old. How do I integrate them?

[Skyleen13]

Need some help & advice. How do I integrate a 2 year old rooster to my flock of 10 week old chicks? What should I feed him? Do I feed him separately?

 

[MountainWoman73]

He can eat the same food they do. I would feed Flock Raiser and then add in oyster shell in the side after they've started laying. But eating some chick starter or layer feed won't hurt him.

Just keep an eye on them to make sure he isn't hurting your pullets, both at first and also when they begin to come into maturity. It might help that he's the "new guy". That makes him automatically lower on the pecking order than if the pullets were being introduced on his turf. Good luck!

 

[Skyleen13]

He can eat the same food they do. I would feed Flock Raiser and then add in oyster shell in the side after they've started laying. But eating some chick starter or layer feed won't hurt him.

Just keep an eye on them to make sure he isn't hurting your pullets, both at first and also when they begin to come into maturity. It might help that he's the "new guy". That makes him automatically lower on the pecking order than if the pullets were being introduced on his turf. Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[Mrs. K]

A single rooster to a group of only hens is the easiest of introductions. Sometimes a bit of a dust up if you have old hens, but you don't, and that is generally short-lived.

Most people worry about the rooster mating the chicks. With an older rooster, I would not expect this to happen. Roosters find attraction in the bright red combs and wattle that come on shortly before laying. Generally when a pullet is being mated it means eggs are soon to follow. Roosters tend to ignore pullets until this happens.

So I think you can put them all together without problems, but he may not take care of them right away. I don't think he will abuse them.

Mrs K

 

[Skyleen13]

A single rooster to a group of only hens is the easiest of introductions. Sometimes a bit of a dust up if you have old hens, but you don't, and that is generally short-lived.

Most people worry about the rooster mating the chicks. With an older rooster, I would not expect this to happen. Roosters find attraction in the bright red combs and wattle that come on shortly before laying. Generally when a pullet is being mated it means eggs are soon to follow. Roosters tend to ignore pullets until this happens.

So I think you can put them all together without problems, but he may not take care of them right away. I don't think he will abuse them.

Mrs K

Thank you. He’s a super sweet 1 year old rooster. His dad was no longer willing to tolerate him near the hens so he’s coming with me.

 

[Skyleen13]

He can eat the same food they do. I would feed Flock Raiser and then add in oyster shell in the side after they've started laying. But eating some chick starter or layer feed won't hurt him.

Just keep an eye on them to make sure he isn't hurting your pullets, both at first and also when they begin to come into maturity. It might help that he's the "new guy". That makes him automatically lower on the pecking order than if the pullets were being introduced on his turf. Good luck!

Went off without a hitch! They pecked him a bit but he didn’t even seem to care. Now he’s guarding them like his own. They’re all snuggled up to him in the coop. He’s in the center. He’s also a super chill due this far. A bit skiddish but doesn’t fight me when I pick him up. Let’s me pet him. He also takes treats right from my hand. No aggression so far. He’s a beautiful boy!

 

[Skyleen13]

A single rooster to a group of only hens is the easiest of introductions. Sometimes a bit of a dust up if you have old hens, but you don't, and that is generally short-lived.

Most people worry about the rooster mating the chicks. With an older rooster, I would not expect this to happen. Roosters find attraction in the bright red combs and wattle that come on shortly before laying. Generally when a pullet is being mated it means eggs are soon to follow. Roosters tend to ignore pullets until this happens.

So I think you can put them all together without problems, but he may not take care of them right away. I don't think he will abuse them.

Mrs K

Went off without a hitch. The girls pecked him a bit but he didn’t seem to pay them any mind. Now he’s guarding them like his own. He’s very chill. A little skiddish when I 1st approach him but he lets me pick him up without much of a fight & sits calmly in my arms once I do. No aggression thus far towards me. He lets me pet him & takes treats right out of my hand. He’s now snuggled up in the center of all my girls. They all decided to cuddle up to him. He’s a beautiful boy to!

 

[MountainWoman73]

Wonderful to hear! I love a good rooster.

 

[Skyleen13]

Wonderful to hear! I love a good rooster.

He’s very chill.