Integrating lone pullet

[atomic]

I need advice on which way to go. I am a new chicken enthusiast, and as expected, ended up with more chickens than I thought. And of course my luck was that out of the five chicks I picked at a farm swap, four of them are cockerels. My oldest three are on the cusp of laying age, and they are not very accepting of the younger ones (three hatched April 18 and the other two May 1) but they all do stay together in the coop. But the older girls will chase during the day, not incessantly but they are not all hanging out together. My dilemma is, I have someone picking up the unplanned cockerels Friday but I’m debating on keeping one for company for the remaining lone pullet. The one I am thinking about is not a smart bird but he is handsome and quite friendly. I also have four pullets that are about three weeks old, my one pullet that’s now ten weeks old is very docile but I don’t know if she’d like to be with the bitties? I’m also uncertain if I’m even permitted to keep roosters so there’s that as well.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If you are new to poultry I wouldn't keep a cockerel. The best way to integrate is to pen birds side by side for however long it takes. Let them mingle to see how it's going. Your older birds are reaching sexual maturity and sometimes you will see increased aggression as hormones start to surge.

 

[springvalley123]

The next step after a while of look but don't touch is to do a reverse integration---pick the lowest of the older pullets and put it in with the lone younger pullet. then the next one, etc. Depending on the age of the lone pullet and cockerel (if they were the same age) I'd keep it around a while to facilitate the integration. It might be easier to integrate the pullet & cockerel with 1-2 older birds, then take away the cockerel (realizing that taking away the cockerel changes the flock and thus constitutes a second integration).

 

[atomic]

I think I will go ahead and get rid of all the cockerels. The one I mentioned considering keeping I just witnessed biting the back of the other cockerels necks attempting to mount. As I said he is not a bright bird. The younger birds have been staying in the coop at night and I allow them the ability to free range but they rarely leave the coop as the oldest ones aren’t very nice to them. The one pullet is ten weeks old and the oldest are nearly six months. Then my four youngest are three weeks old, they’re staying in a dog crate inside for the time being.