Hi, I've been here lurking but having said much... We have 6 hens (1 RIR, 2 Giant Jerseys & 3 Americanas). They are about 7 or 8 months old. A coworker gave us a rooster that is a Bantam Cochin who is the same age. She gave us the rooster because she had 3 and the 2 older ones started to pick on him when he hurt his leg. We've got him in his own little cage (carrier) under the hen house, which is on stilts. We've had him for a couple of days. I want to keep him separate so that his leg heals and he has no head feathers and a scab on his head from the other roosters. I let the girls out this morning while he was still loose in the pen because the girls got quiet after he crowed. Unfortunately, one of my Giant Jerseys, which towered over him, pecked him on the scab on his head and they both started flapping, then he ran to his cage. What I am planning on doing is waiting til tomorrow night after their light goes out and sneak him into the hen house (I've been told he will sleep in the nesting box). Is my plan doable? Also, the coworker who gave him to us said that since he was smaller than our hens, he won't be able to fertilize their eggs...is that true? Thanks, Kathy
I am new to raising chickens, but through research and advice here on BYC, I found that seperating the rooster from the hens for a short while works best. My husband and I fenced off a small area inside the run. We kept the rooster there and gave him shelter, water and feed in his area. The hens were so curious, they would stand and stare at him. After a few days they were less interested in him and we would let him out to roam around with them. When the hens would begin to get too aggressive towards him, we would put him back in his fenced area. One night I put him in the coop with the hens and they seemed to accept him. Be patient, let him heal first and after he is around the hens they will get used to him being there. I am by no means any kind of expert on chickens, but I love learning and am so thankful to all the advice here from more experienced BYC members.
I would not rule the little guy out when it comes to fertilizing eggs. When I was a girl, we had a little bull. Poor little guy was too short to mount full grown cows, so he'd herd them over to a hill, stand on the hill, and get the job done. His name was Willie, as in "Willie get it done, or won't he?" My dad used to have a Silkie roo in with some large fowl hens. He made many Silkie crosses.
