If we wanted to add a rooster later, what is the best time/way?

[gale65]

We ordered all pullets but you know how that goes. DS is really hoping we got at least one rooster but I told him if we didn't, we can see if someone has one we can buy. Is it best to get one that is younger than the pullets? When is a good time to add one? Anything else I should consider? Half of our pullets are sex links so it's up to the other 6 to see if any are boys...

 

[teach1rusl]

I tried a young rooster, and things went horribly. He was hormonal and inexperienced, and he terrorized the girls (they were around 6-7 months old, all laying). The following summer I tried a 2 yr. old rooster that was KNOWN to be non-aggressive with people and mild with hens. The girls accepted him within 5 minutes of his integration. He's non-aggressive in mating them (the younger rooster would literally fight the hens to try to force them to submit - feathers yanked and combs bloodied), and only mates those who submit to him, which happens to be all of them.
As for your girls, I would wait until they are laying, so that an overeager roo isn't trying to jump on still immature pullets.

 

[gale65]

Well it's looking like we have all pullets. I wish now that I would have ordered a couple of cockerels in the batch. I don't know what I was (or wasn't) thinking. I have no way to quarantine so I have to make sure I get one from someone I trust. Do any hatcheries sell older male chicks?

 

[giggleboxfarm]

I know you could post on craigslist or just look for a rooster. You are a bit far from me, but hey, if you ever come down I-65, I have several barnyard mix cockrells you could choose from

 

[gale65]

I thought about craigslist but worried that I'd end up with a sickly rooster or something with mites or lice or cocci or whatever, or a mean one. I wish you were closer too-I could take one off your hands.

 

[PineLaneFarms]

I Just added a 2yo RIR Roo to watch over my 11 week old girls and so far so good. Its taking him a while to warm up to them and they are taking thier time getting closer to him. So far he hasnt tried to mount them or attack them in anyway. the only time they have any type of confrontation is when they are eating and he forces them out the way sometimes. Other than that i am pretty pleased. everyone has told me that it wont be much longer till he will find food for them,let them eat first, run them into thier coop at nite etc. Good Luck finding a roo!

 

[gale65]

We actually have a friend that raises chickens, and he is the one who will take our spare pullets, but I'm not sure how careful he is with his flock when it comes to bugs, kwim? Maybe I'll have dh talk to him and see if he can get a vibe. He's a friend but not one we talk to a lot or go see or anything like that.

I think there will be a swap meet around here in September. Maybe I can find someone from this board who is going and is willing to sell me a roo and meet me there. I'm not 100% sure we have all pullets but at 5.5 weeks none are standing out as being different than the rest.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I have read many chicken raising books, so I don't know which one I read this in, but it made good sense to me. I read that you should only breed young pullets with a mature, calm rooster. An immature physically young pullet who just started laying, in her first cycle of being bred, can be injured and even killed by a young rooster that is just learning to deal with his raging hormones. This is even if the rooster was raised with the pullets. So, if you have a young cockerel, you are supposed to put him with a mature hen, who will be sexually mature, that has been bred the prior season and will only take so much off the randy young rooster before putting him in his place. The mature rooster will be gentler with the younger pullets.

I think the best place to find the mature rooster and a mature hen for the young cockerel would be swap meets. That's what I plan to do. I also belong to a poultry club (organized and run by Pat Foreman, author of Chicken Tractor, Day Range Poultry, City Chicks, etc.) so I will most likely be able to purchase mature roosters and maybe a mature hen to get my new-this-year chicken flock off the ground without harm to my young girls. By next year, I am hoping to get all my chicks the natural way with a broody hen.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
that sounds very logical-thanks. So I think it would be fine for me to wait until the swap meets start up again in September and find out if someone here who is going might have an adult roo for me to buy. Unless our friend has a nice one.