Introducing a young rooster to a flock

[danniiyell]

I recently got three chicks one being a rooster Pauly. He is a Jersey Giant and is only a month old. Once the temperatures get warmer I'd like to take him out to the coop. In the past when I introduce new chicks into the flock I always kept them in a cage in the coop for a week or so. My Rhode Island Red Cray Cray thinks she is Queen Bee and I'm afraid she will be aggressive towards him. Does anyone have any tips or pointers for introducing a young rooster into a flock of fully grown hens? I want things to go as smooth as it can for all of my chicken friends!

 

[azygous]

He's much too young to just turn loose with the flock. It would be best to give him a safe enclosure in the run so the flock can become acquainted with him. After about a week, you can let him start to mingle with the flock by creating access that the older chickens can't fit through.

After he learns to use his safe pen, I like to call the "panic room" method of integration, you can probably move him into the coop to live by placing him on a perch after the others have roosted.

Any new chicken introduced into a flock may have problems getting enough to eat, so his food and water should be kept inside his retreat.

Having a safe pen to retreat to can expedite his being accepted into the flock. He should catch up to the others in size pretty quickly, but he still needs to learn his place in the social order.

 

[danniiyell]

Thanks so much that's a great idea for a Panic Room.

 

[aart]

All 3 chicks need to be protected from the older birds as they will not like any of them.
...or maybe I misunderstand and the 2 female chicks will not be added to flock?

 

[danniiyell]

I've introduced new hens to the flock so I'm good there I just wasn't sure with a rooster. He is my first rooster and I wasn't sure if I should expect something different than with my hens.

 

[aart]

I've introduced new hens to the flock so I'm good there I just wasn't sure with a rooster. He is my first rooster and I wasn't sure if I should expect something different than with my hens.

Ah, I see. He'll just be an other chicks until he hits puberty......
......then he'll terrorize the pullets who won't be ready to be mounted, he'll try to mount the hens who will probably beat his butt.

 

[donrae]

Ah, I see. He'll just be an other chicks until he hits puberty......
......then he'll terrorize the pullets who won't be ready to be mounted, he'll try to mount the hens who will probably beat his butt.

x2 on this. Right now he's just another punk baby. Gender won't matter yet. Introduce him with the pullet chicks and they'll all be fine.