Introducing a rooster

[ThreeHens2]

i have decided to get my first rooster. I have 60 hens, will they pick on him or will he automatically take the highest spot in the pecking order? He’s tiny so I don’t want him to get hurt. He’s a Japanese bantam.

 

[Welshies]

60 hens? If you want fertile eggs here's what you need to know.

• 1 rooster for 6-8 hens. If you want 100% fertile eggs you should have 10 roosters.
• Intoduce him by keeping him seperated. Then when they ignore him let him in the run area during the day. If it goes well just leave him with the flock.
• Quarantine him for a month before introducing him.

 

[ThreeHens2]

I don’t want to hatch eggs anyway since I can’t risk hatching roosters, where I live no one wants roosters because the neighbors are so close. Im taking him because he rarely crows.

 

[Welshies]

I don’t want to hatch eggs anyway since I can’t risk hatching roosters, where I live no one wants roosters because the neighbors are so close. Im taking him because he rarely crows.

So why do you need a rooster? There's no need for him and introducing one will only stress out your flock.

 

[ThreeHens2]

So why do you need a rooster? There's no need for him and introducing one will only stress out your flock.

Um...because it’s my best friends rooster and she is devistated that she can’t keep him anymore and she can’t find anyone to take him so I’m trying to be a good person...

 

[allosaurusrock]

You can take him, but I'd keep a close watch. Make sure you quarantine him away from your flock for at least two weeks before you introduce him. After that, put him in a place where your hens can see him but not touch him for about a week. I recommend putting him in the coop, after at least a week of introduction, at night, when all the birds are calmer and more likely to accept him. Depending on his age, he will probably crow more as he gets older.

 

[ThreeHens2]

You can take him, but I'd keep a close watch. Make sure you quarantine him away from your flock for at least two weeks before you introduce him. After that, put him in a place where your hens can see him but not touch him for about a week. I recommend putting him in the coop, after at least a week of introduction, at night, when all the birds are calmer and more likely to accept him. Depending on his age, he will probably crow more as he gets older.

thanks for the advice, he is 2 years old now. So hopefully he won’t get any louder

 

[Welshies]

Um...because it’s my best friends rooster and she is devistated that she can’t keep him anymore and she can’t find anyone to take him so I’m trying to be a good person...

No need to be rude. I was only asking. There was no way for me to know the situation.

 

[allosaurusrock]

thanks for the advice, he is 2 years old now. So hopefully he won’t get any louder

I wouldn't be worried then.

 

[happyfrenchman]

So you have 60 hens and no roosters and you are taking this little guy because he rarely crows.... he will be fine..... he will be too tired to crow.