introducing a new rooster to an established flock with a rooster

[BantyChooks]

My experience with integrating adult roosters is that it can be done but it's a lengthy process and you need to free range. No matter how big your run is it won't be large enough for two roosters at first. I'm in the middle of introducing an Ameraucana cock to my established flock with 8 males and it's going quite well. Some chasing and fighting but most of them will eat at the food bowl together now. Oh, and you will need to have a separate pen/run/coop for a while just to get them used to each other. Takes longer than integrating hens, which I have done before in a matter of days.

Small flocks might be different, so I can't advise you there, sorry. I can describe more about my process of integrating roosters, if you're interested?

 

[digbychris]

My experience with integrating adult roosters is that it can be done but it's a lengthy process and you need to free range. No matter how big your run is it won't be large enough for two roosters at first. I'm in the middle of introducing an Ameraucana cock to my established flock with 8 males and it's going quite well. Some chasing and fighting but most of them will eat at the food bowl together now. Oh, and you will need to have a separate pen/run/coop for a while just to get them used to each other. Takes longer than integrating hens, which I have done before in a matter of days.

Small flocks might be different, so I can't advise you there, sorry. I can describe more about my process of integrating roosters, if you're interested?

I think my basis for asking the question was that the rooster I'd be introducing is still juvenile (I don't think I stated that) but he's sexually mature. I'm not sure that matters a great deal to my australorp rooster who would still see him as a threat. I think now the best thing to do is think about it, what it comes down to is how I want to proceed with my flock as a hobby. The australorp rooster has never been necessary, and now I want a rooster that can produce. Other than his age I have no basis for thinking he is shooting blanks but my hens have never brooded well. So I think I'm going to go with the RIR rooster and hens and separate my australorp rooster and butcher him and some hens in the coming days

 

[BantyChooks]

I think my basis for asking the question was that the rooster I'd be introducing is still juvenile (I don't think I stated that) but he's sexually mature. I'm not sure that matters a great deal to my australorp rooster who would still see him as a threat. I think now the best thing to do is think about it, what it comes down to is how I want to proceed with my flock as a hobby. The australorp rooster has never been necessary, and now I want a rooster that can produce. Other than his age I have no basis for thinking he is shooting blanks but my hens have never brooded well. So I think I'm going to go with the RIR rooster and hens and separate my australorp rooster and butcher him and some hens in the coming days

Yes, it won't matter to the birds—once they're mature you'll have the same number of issues. Sounds like you have a good plan.

 

[song of joy]

Personally, I would pass on the RIR rooster and just take the hens. RIR roosters have a reputation for being people-aggressive.

Your current rooster sounds really nice (and temperament is SO important with roosters), so I'd recommend checking fertility of the eggs to see if he's still doing his job well. If so, incubate and hatch out some chicks from your current flock, using your current rooster. To increase egg fertility, you may want to put your rooster with a small group of hens (4 to 6) that you've selected for breeding (pick your best laying hens). The australorp rooster crossed with RIR hens would probably produce some great egg layers.

Some of the chicks that you hatch out will be cockerels, but the rooster will not see them as a threat for quite some time because they will be raised up with the rest of the flock. Evaluate these cockerels for temperament and other traits, and keep the best one or two for future breeding.

 

[bobbi-j]

I think my basis for asking the question was that the rooster I'd be introducing is still juvenile (I don't think I stated that) but he's sexually mature. I'm not sure that matters a great deal to my australorp rooster who would still see him as a threat. I think now the best thing to do is think about it, what it comes down to is how I want to proceed with my flock as a hobby. The australorp rooster has never been necessary, and now I want a rooster that can produce. Other than his age I have no basis for thinking he is shooting blanks but my hens have never brooded well. So I think I'm going to go with the RIR rooster and hens and separate my australorp rooster and butcher him and some hens in the coming days

I think that is a good plan. I think it's what I would do if I were i your shoes It seems to me I've read that fertility does go down as a rooster ages, but I don't know when it starts to drop off, or how fast it goes. One way to find out if your Australorp rooster is still doing the job is to check your eggs for fertility when you crack them open.

 

[aart]

What are your plans for integrating the new hens and their boy?
If you are using a separate enclosure, you may be able to start the integration then use that enclosure to segregate one of the males.

Will give you some time to evaluate the old boys virility.
Having a new boy around may surge his hormones and spur more swimmers.

Are you in the southern hemisphere?...'digby' makes me think maybe so.
If not, fall/winter is not the greatest time to be integrating, evaluating fertility, and incubating.