introducing a rooster

[Mrs. K]

I have a neighbor who has an extra rooster, her alpha roos are picking on him, and she wants me to have him for my girls. I have 5 hens that are just at about a year old. And I have new chicks coming on Monday.

so, do I just slip the roo into the coop in the night? Do I have to section him off away from the girls, so that they can all see each other for a few days? And often I let my girls out of the run if the weather is nice, they will round up and go back in with a treat bucket, but how long should I keep them locked up till he knows where the coop is? Or will he just stay with the girls and follow them?

I have had chickens for a couple of years, but this will be my first roo. Kind of excited. mk

 

[Lollipop]

Mrs K, don`t forget the 30 day quarentine for any new stock.

But to answer your question, the age of the rooster is critical. A rooster that is immature will have the same problems with your one year old girls, maybe worse, as he was experiencing at home. A mature cock will simply take charge and dominate the girls, but they may kill an immature cockeral. If your new rooster is immature, the best thing you can do for him is pen him where they can see him for a few weeks and when the intro is finally made, make sure he has room to escape their wrath. All chickens are territorial and resent strangers, but like I said, a mature cock will not be a problem with the hens or with the chicks. The hens will be a danger to the chicks however, if contact is allowed. Good luck...........Pop