Hello! I have a full grown rooster arriving tonight to my flock of 15 hens...5 of the hens are still babies, in their "teens", not full grown yet. The other 10 are all egg laying. My MIL is ultimately going to take the rooster but I thought he could pay my girls a "social visit" first. My hens free range during the day. Would it be best to just let him loose with them that way or should he stay in his own small coop first? Or should I put him in at night with the girls and let him do his thing? I would love to get some chicks out of him before sending him on his way but I don't know how long of a process that is..how long until he starts "mingling" with the ladies? Also, will he be aggressive to the babies? Anyone know the breed?
Usually when you bring a new bird on to your property a 30 day quarantine is recommended to ensure the bird is not I'll and won't infect your flock. That being said, if you feel he is not a health risk and are willing to try to put him in for breeding, I would still recommend an introduction period. Do this by placing him in a cage or pen near the flock where they can see, hear, smell each other but can't touch. You should give him several days to a couple of weeks. Watch how the girls react to him. When you feel comfortable releasing him with the girls, do so with supervision. Some roos are wonderful at courting, others are more grab and go. Also, he might not like the juvineals and could potentially injure them. Lots to think about. Good luck.
Quarantine, while being a practical precaution against respiratory disease and parasites, is useless against some viral diseases that take months or years to manifest, but are every bit as contagious. So, I usually accept a vet exam and worming prior to bringing the new chicken into the flock and that's about it. It's a very good idea to introduce a new chicken gradually. A flock is not going to be immediately welcoming to a strange new bird. Penning the roo separately for a few days and then letting him mingle for increasingly longer periods over a week or so would be easier on him and give the flock time to adjust and accept him. To give you a better idea about what to expect, read my article linked below this post on integrating a single chicken into a flock. It's the third one. It does appear to be a very young Ancona.
