Introducing Americana Rooster

[MzBama]

Hi all. This is my first posting. I apologize in advance if this has been previously asked but with so many threads, it’s difficult to find the right answer.
I have 4 Plymouth Barred Rock hens that are about 16 weeks old and they have established the pecking order amongst themselves. I was given an Americana rooster that’s about 14 weeks old now. I tried twice to introduce him to the flock but the Queen just won’t have it and I can’t tell if the other hens are ok with him or not. She attacks him to the point he hides in the coop and won’t come out even to eat or drink. I keep him in a crate that butts up to the pen so that they can all see each other. They all do fine as long as he is separated. He just yesterday started to crow. My question finally is, how do I stop the queen hen from attacking the rooster or will he just continue to cow down and hide from her? Should I pull her out and introduce him to the other hens?

Thanks for any advice. BTW, I did quarantined him.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello, and welcome to BYC!! We’re so glad you joined the community!

I would suggest doing one of these things:
-Raise him with a couple other hens a little longer before introducing him to the others
-Separate the “queen” hen while introducing him to the rest of the flock, and then bring her back in after a week or two
-Provide extra places to hide in case he wants to run away
-Use the “see but no touch” method by putting him in his own cage inside the coop where the other hens can see but not hurt him, and after a week or two let him out in the run with the hens

Remember, when he grows up, he will be at the top of the pecking order pretty much no matter what, so a little scuffling now won’t hurt him too much in the long run, especially if he has places to run or hide.

Hope this helps!

 

[dekel18042]

Hi all. This is my first posting. I apologize in advance if this has been previously asked but with so many threads, it’s difficult to find the right answer.
I have 4 Plymouth Barred Rock hens that are about 16 weeks old and they have established the pecking order amongst themselves. I was given an Americana rooster that’s about 14 weeks old now. I tried twice to introduce him to the flock but the Queen just won’t have it and I can’t tell if the other hens are ok with him or not. She attacks him to the point he hides in the coop and won’t come out even to eat or drink. I keep him in a crate that butts up to the pen so that they can all see each other. They all do fine as long as he is separated. He just yesterday started to crow. My question finally is, how do I stop the queen hen from attacking the rooster or will he just continue to cow down and hide from her? Should I pull her out and introduce him to the other hens?

Thanks for any advice. BTW, I did quarantined him.

Hopefully you want a well mannered rooster that is nice to his hens and is not people aggressive.
After a lifetime of owning chickens I have found that the best roosters, the roosters were those raised within a flock that did not start and stay at the top of the pecking order. They started lower and had to work their way to the top
It seems all your chickens are the same age, no real adults, but initially your cockerel (He's not a rooster yet) is not at the top of the pecking order, especially where the head pullet is concerned. I would say that is a good thing.
I would introduce him to all the pullets and just keep watching that he is OK. Squabbles among themselves are OK, but I wouldn't let him be injured Eventually he will make it to the top and you should have a good rooster.
I have and have many wonderful roosters over the years. One of the best was an accidental hatching of a singleton half Jersey giant rooster who was huge (I was doing a test hatch for someone and threw just one of our eggs in the incubator. Guess which one hatched?)
My other hatchlings were a month older and didn't accept him when I tried to put him in with them at six weeks. Finally a month later I threw all of them into the adult pen (They had been free ranging with each other for some time) because I figured that was better than introducing him by himself much later, and it was.
He rose to be the main flock leader, was great to the hens and was a wonderful pet. Years later when we lost him the whole family cried.

 

[Shadrach]

First important thing is you don't have a rooster or hens. You have a cockerel and pullets.
You don't write whether your hens are laying yet (?)
Your keeping arrangements will have a major impact on how the introduction is likely to go.
Usually a cockerel earns his position as the focus point of the group and to do that he needs to impress the hens. Many confined cockerels don't get the opportunity to court the hens and that can make their lives very difficult.
What you are observing is quite normal especially if the hens are getting ready to lay eggs. What the hens want is a male with some proven track record; not some young cockerel dumped on them.
So, some details about your keeping arrangement will make trying to give some advice on the introduction easier.

The next thing is neither roosters, or cockerels are in the pecking order. The so called pecking order is a hen thing.

If you just chuck him in at the deep end so to speak he will get bullied but as he grows up he's going to get his own back. This is something one wants to try and avoid if possible.