I have my Roo in protective custody.......

[birdsoutback]

Got a question. A little background. I have a coop that I built and put inside a metal shed that is on a concrete slab. I built a nice run with a door that I can drop like a guillotine. That way I can call the hens out. (they all answer to dumb dumbs) When I call them out I can then go inside. Clean the coop, collect the eggs, give them fresh water and feed and all the essentials that they need. I built a large screen door that I can put inside the double sliding doors to give them more air. Plus I have fans inside. I decided to add a mop head Roo to my flock of 6 hens. My daughter named the Roo Eienstein and with his hairdo it's a good fit.
My hens are over a year old and my roo is almost 4 months old. I have had him inside the chicken shack for about a month in a wire dog crate so the hens can get used to him. I take his crate out every day and pull the tray and clean it. I put him in the shade with his water bowl and pour some seed on the ground in his crate so he can scratch around and get some air. After I leave him out for a few hours I put him in the shed and open his crate door so he can run around and stretch his legs. He has not learned to crow yet, but goes through the motions. Sticks the chest out, flaps his wings and holds his head back, but has the mute button on...
I have brought the hens back in a few times and he is not ready to be housed with the heavy offenders. He runs for his crate and jumps up on his perch. If I let one hen in at a time up to 3 hens he is fine. He chases them around like he is the boss. When I get all 6 in he will stand his ground for a couple minutes. One hen will stand toe to toe with him and he will jump up and hit her with his little spurs. Then he will bust a move for his crate. I do have one aggressive hen. She will stand toe to toe with my 6 month old American Bulldog and not flinch. I have let the roo walk around in general population for about 20 minutes. He usually gets ambushed then the other hens follow in pursuit. Do I need to give him more time or cut him loose and let him establish that he is supposed to be the boss? I know there is a pecking order and he is the newest and smallest, but he is a roo.
When I first got him the hens would reach in and pull tail feathers and snatch his hair peace when I first put his crate in there. He had a bald spot before I ever put him in there. Now they don't reach in his crate anymore. They are used to him being in the crate now. Do they just need to just get used to him running loose? I appreciate all replies. Thanks in advance. Roo is Polish, hens are red sex link.

 

[sourland]

Give him more time - he is still a dumb kid. Polish frequently have trouble in a mixed flock in that their crest is frequently pulled out and bloodied.

 

[Sutremaine]

Do I need to give him more time or cut him loose and let him establish that he is supposed to be the boss? I know there is a pecking order and he is the newest and smallest, but he is a roo.

There's too much of an age difference for male vs. female to matter. Our youngest chickens are eleven weeks old and still peep a lot of the time. Male or female, I wouldn't trust them to be in charge of a flock.

 

[aart]

I'd continue what you're doing to try to integrate him into the flock...... his chasing them like 'he is the boss' may be him trying to mate/dominate as he is getting close to beginning sexual maturation. The hens will kick his butt until they deem him worthy of submission....but that could take another 1 to 5 months and could entail lots more 'fights'. His trying to spur them does not bode well IMO.

 

[centrarchid]

Drop the use of the term "rooster".

Gamecock- any male gamefowl
Cockerel- male gamefowl up to about 4 months
Stag- male gamefowl from 4 months to a year
Bull stag- male gamefowl from a year to 18-24 months
Cock- 2 year old male gamefowl
Brood- beyond two years old
First feather- bird before first molt
Second feather- bird after first molt

Hope this helps. Some of these terms have different age brackets depending on who you talk to. In most circles, a brood cock has been found to be free from fault and worthy of breeding, mature, and at least two years old. Plenty of 6-8 year old brood cocks out there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1105245/brood-cock-and-gamecock#post_17047390

 

[birdsoutback]

I let him out memorial day and he did well. Had him out all day. No problems. I went to a memorial service and when I pulled in the drive on my bike I could hear the lynch mob in action. Put him back in his crate. Instead of the Einstein look he now has the Bernie Sanders look going on. There is a guy wanting to trade me a golden lace mophead that is the same age as my hens. He is bigger. I might go that route tomorrow after I think about it.

 

[birdsoutback]

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d101/TJ41/Screenshot_2016-05-31-14-53-111_zpse51x7msx.jpeg

 

[birdsoutback]

I went with the bigger Roo. Time to put the ladies in their place. He is quite handsome. In the sunlight you can see blue, green, red, brown, black, purple. All the hens answer to dumb dumbs. Waiting for my wife and kid to figure out Roo's name.

 

[birdsoutback]

One of my older roos has been limping. I did pull a splinter, but he has other issues. What would cause this?

 

[birdsoutback]

This is an older pic.