introducing a new rooster

[Pinkjeanne]

I have 7 hens just over a year old. I also have 5 pullets & a rooster, all about 3 1/2 to 4 months old. The 7 hens have a large coop & run, and free range all day. The younger group live in my fenced back yard & sleep in a dog house within a covered dog run. They run around my back yard all day. A few times one of my adult hens jumped the fence to check out the young birds. Both times the rooster chased them out of the yard. He is very protective of his girls. I have been told that when I introduce the new girls to the big flock, to put them in the coop at night. But what about the rooster? How should I introduce him if Ian worried about him being aggressive with the hens? Should I have him join the flock alone & bring the youngsters over when they have reached adult size? The rooster is already very large.

 

[aart]

The 'put them in the coop at night' thing might work, but not the best idea IMO.
They say the existing chickens will not notice the new ones when they wake up...Pfffft!
As @bobbi-j sez "chickens aren't the brightest animals on this planet, but they're not that stupid."

Your young cockerel was protecting this territory, which includes the pullets.

Not quite clear on your situation and where all the birds are residing.
But it seems they all have been in sight of each other, which is good start, but sleeping in different shelters.

If you free range, that can be a good place for them to physically meet and for you to keep an eye on things.
They may get along fine, lots of room to get away from any pecking, and there will be pecking.
The older hens will take the cockerel to school and teach him some manners, which is a good thing.

Getting all the birds to stay in one coop would be the next step.
Multiple feed/water stations, places to hide out of line of sight/get up and away from aggressors, and separate roosts for the newbies will all help.

More details on your set up (pics are always appreciated and can help a great deal)
will help folks give better suggestions on integrating the 2 flocks.

 

[Pinkjeanne]

The gate to the coop/run for the 1 year old hens is opened during the day so the girls can free range, & still go in to nest or to eat. This coop/run is about 60 feet from the fenced back yard where the young flock stays. The 2 flocks have been within site of each other daily for the past month while the hens free range. The hens & the young flock will often stand on each side of the fence checking each other out. (Sorry, but I haven't caught on how to load pictures yet. I'm rather technologically challenged). Once the young flock leaves the back yard, I can leave the gate opened so everyone can come & go.
The 1year old hens all get along beautifully, and it's not even apparent who is at the top & bottom of the pecking order. The previous "top hen" was taken by a coyote about 2 months ago. With the young group, the cockerel has a favorite, who seems to be at the top of that pecking order. You said that there will be pecking when I combine the flocks. As I have never experienced that before, at what point would I intervene? Should I just let them fight it out as long as there is no blood?

 

[aart]

The gate to the coop/run for the 1 year old hens is opened during the day so the girls can free range, & still go in to nest or to eat. This coop/run is about 60 feet from the fenced back yard where the young flock stays. The 2 flocks have been within site of each other daily for the past month while the hens free range. The hens & the young flock will often stand on each side of the fence checking each other out. (Sorry, but I haven't caught on how to load pictures yet. I'm rather technologically challenged). Once the young flock leaves the back yard, I can leave the gate opened so everyone can come & go.
The 1year old hens all get along beautifully, and it's not even apparent who is at the top & bottom of the pecking order. The previous "top hen" was taken by a coyote about 2 months ago. With the young group, the cockerel has a favorite, who seems to be at the top of that pecking order. You said that there will be pecking when I combine the flocks. As I have never experienced that before, at what point would I intervene? Should I just let them fight it out as long as there is no blood?

Yep, as long as there is no copious bloodletting and no one is pinned down and abused, they will work it out.
There will be some feinting, pecking, feather grabbing, loud squawking and running away.
That really never ends but it should calm down for the most part pretty quickly(a few days to a few weeks).

 

[Pinkjeanne]

One more question. I was told not to try to combine the 2 Flocks until the young birds are the same size as the adult hens. Is this true?

 

[aart]

One more question. I was told not to try to combine the 2 Flocks until the young birds are the same size as the adult hens. Is this true?

It's best if they are the same size.


Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...often-underestimated-part-of-raising-chickens

Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders.

If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.


The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide out of line of sight and/or up and away from any bully birds.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock