I need advice!

[rkapfen]

So back in April I got 5 chickens (brahama, Cochin, 2 EE, and Sussex). I can across a miniature rooster that needed rehoming and my dad decided to bring him home even through I didn’t think it was a good idea. Do you guys think it will be okay to mix them? My girls have never been around a rooster. How should I introduce them? At night? Also is it okay that my girls are medium to large sized and this rooster is tiny? I want to give him a good life but I want my girls to be happy lol

 

[ronott1]

Congratulations!

You will want to quarantine him for at least two weeks. There are articles on quarantine and integrating in the learning center-- click on the articles button the top of the site

 

[ChickNanny13]

Definitely quarantine, I'm over cautious so would say a month When introducing into your flock, put him in a wire cage with food & water, put the cage in the coop with the girls ... See but no touch. When you do let him out with the girls, make sure he has places to hide & run too, getting out of their reach IF needed.

How old is your little guy? Got a picture, he maybe a bantam or just young?

 

[sourland]

Quarantine, monitor integration closely. The big girls may very well put a beat down on him.

 

[DobieLover]

Quarantine, monitor integration closely. The big girls may very well put a beat down on him.

But lucky for him, being smaller, he should be faster and hard to get at once he learns to avoid them.

 

[rkapfen]

What exactly is the quarantine for? I would figure diseases but if it’s just in a wire cage won’t they get infected?

 

[MissChick@dee]

Any new bird could be seen as a threat to the flock.
I don’t know your setup. I’ve always wired off a section of the run and kept new birds in there. You should ALWAYS quarantine new birds. You don’t want s new bird bringing in diseases or parasites. Keep him somewhere completely separate for at least two weeks. Examine him top to bottom. It would be good for both of you. To get him used to some handling and for you to access his demeanor. Always wash your hands until your confident he not ill. Sometimes the stress of being moved to a new location can trigger illness.
Go slow don’t rush to let him into the run with the girls.
To put him on the roosts at night straight away just might get him killed since he’s so small. To truly integrate a new bird takes effort and certain steps to do it properly.
I see your in the Bay Area which is good. A crate with a tarp or blanket over it is good shelter for him until he can coop up with the girls. It be different if you had harsh winter temperatures.
So get everything you need setup for him before you bring him home. His size might not be a problem if your hens are sweet girls. But even sweet girls can do serious damage if they are not accepting. It’s a wait and see type of thing. Good luck!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What exactly is the quarantine for? I would figure diseases but if it’s just in a wire cage won’t they get infected?

Yes, quarantine as to prevent introducing disease to your existing flock. Proper quarantine means that you keep the new bird absolutely completely at least 100 yd away from the existing birds, in housing that prevents such cross contamination as would be present by using a wire cage say in their pen for introductory purposes. Remember to consider whether your other birds can get to where the new bird us in quarantine... It is not unusual for someone unfamiliar with actual quarantine practices to have the new bird housed securely in one location but allow their existing flock to free range right up to that area, which defeats the whole point of quarantine. You also must be very careful about not cross contaminating by use of products, equipment, or your own body and clothing and shoes. Once quarantine has passed and you are certain that the new bird is safe to introduce to your flock, that is when you would use a wire cage and put it in close proximity to the existing flock for the purposes of creating familiarity and completing integration.

 

[rkapfen]

And how would I know exactly if quarintined is passed? No signs or symptoms of disease?

 

[MissChick@dee]

And how would I know exactly if quarintined is passed? No signs or symptoms of disease?

Most people observe for two weeks.