Integrating one cockerel

[Jjdesmo11]

What would be the best way to add one approximately 6 week old cockerel to my group? I have 4 hens with a rooster that free range during the day and have a coop they sleep at night. Also I currently have 3 4 week old chicks with a broody mom in a separate chicken tractor. My sisters son got a baby chick from school. It’s fully feathered and has been kept in a aquarium since it was a baby they hold it daily and it’s more of a pet than anything. I’m worried to integrate this pitiful thing to my main coop but would my broody mom beat it up worse than the other grown hens and rooster? I plan to put in a wire dog cage in the main coop but could I try the same with my chicken tractor group? Thanks

 

[TheBrahmaBunch]

i would not recommend trying at all if you already have a rooster. if you had more hens it might work, but i think that they would probably just fight.

 

[Jjdesmo11]

Oh no.. yeah I’m worried for it. It’s still so little

 

[TheBrahmaBunch]

i don't know about a solution... but don't try it

 

[SueT]

I don't foresee a happy future for the little guy in the situation you describe. They're all going to be hard on him...except the chicks. Maybe put him with them--hasn't Mom weaned them yet? They are probably old enuf.
Anyway, let us know how it goes.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

None of that sounds like an ideal situation. I probably wouldn't attempt integrating it with the other rooster. They may be fine until the little one hits maturity, but after that it would probably get ugly. I don't think putting him in with the broody would be any better.

 

[Jjdesmo11]

Good idea! Might be a good time to let momma hen out. My other option would to wait till we get more chickens and just keep the little guy separate in a bigger run (vs his current aquarium) But that sounds like too much work haha thanks for the advice!

 

[RWise]

I keep extra roosters for breeding, each is kept in his own pad with only 1 on the flock. I also do not let anyroo over 4 months and less than 1 YO on the flock.
My broody hens will have their clutch in the flock at 2-3 days old, and on the roost at 4 weeks old. I use an outdoor brood house in site of the flock and integrate my hatches at 5 weeks into the flock (5 weeks so they can avoid cats)
In your flock the little guy may not be allowed to crow or mate with any hen/pullet, and their teen age time is not pretty,,,

 

[aart]

My sisters son got a baby chick from school.

Give it back to the school?
Thinks it's terribly irresponsible for a school to give out single chicks(or any chicks)to folks who won't know how to, or can't, take care of them with proper housing and companions.
What kind of a lesson is that?

Hatching is fun and exciting and a great lesson in biology for anyone to experience,
but then comes the responsibility of caring for those live animals.
Don't hatch unless you can deal with the ~50% males that will come from it.
I have 9 cockerels out there right now that are soon going to need to go to the freezer.
Sorry, rant over.

I have 4 hens with a rooster that free range during the day and have a coop they sleep at night. Also I currently have 3 4 week old chicks with a broody mom in a separate chicken tractor.

I would not try to integrate that cockerel chick into your flock, unless you're willing to house it separately and feed a nonproductive bird.
I'd get the broody back with the flock asap so she can integrate the chicks before her broody hormones ramp down and she weans them.
Is your coop big enough for the 8 birds you already have?
(wonders if those 3 broody chicks are all females?)
You might use the tractor for this orphaned cockerel, and any cockerels in the broody group. Or give the tractor to your sister and nephew to house their pet cockerel.

 

[Jjdesmo11]

Thank you yes I don’t agree with giving with 1 chick! That’s horrible. Apparently something was wrong w the incubator and only half the chicks hatched and too many kids wanted them(not as if that’s an excuse) but I think typical they give them 2 each. My chicks are about 4 Weeks and the reason I didn’t initially put them in the main coop is we leave it open (no predator problems) it has a ramp they couldn’t get up and down from, my other hens and roosters sleep in the roosts and would poop on the chicks and my broody is lowest in pecking order ( young Americana) so I wanted them big enough to fend for themselves if need be and pretty sure mice come in at night so I would have to start closing at night and open in am. Not to say that’s impossible I was just worried for the babies. I have 3 Salmone favorelles. They are easy to sex so 2 baby hens 1 cockerel and broody mom. She still acting protective. I convinced my sister to keep the cockerel longer until my neighbor brings over the 12 or so Chickens he has. He incubated some of our chickens eggs (I guess because he was bored ‍) so he will bring them over after we have build a few more roosts. He said he’s pretty sure he had 2-3 cockerels in his crew. Our coop should accommodate them all I just want more roosts in case we have mice coming in at night (I initially plan to close the coop at night so they all learn to come back at night) so after that long explanation I will get coop ready, add neighbors chicks, get a dog pen and place single cockerel to integrate in a few weeks? And as for my chicks when broody looses interest I can release her or I could intergrate broody and chicks sooner so she wil protect them. I just want a happy healthy flock. I’m lucky to let them free range and not fear predators but I need to make sure they have roosts to keep them all off the ground. What do you think?