Introducing Chicks to a fully grown rooster. Help

[Barnes811]

This is my first time ever raising chickens. My cousin had a friend drop off a rooster at his house and his rooster started to fight each other so he gave it to me. So I built a coop for it. I’m raising up 3 hens right now and there are about 4 to 5 weeks old. I wanted to move them to the coop really soon. But I’ve seen post about the rooster “raping” the baby hens. What should I do? there getting pretty big for there brooder I’ve kept them in and I want to move them to the coop. What should I do. I really don’t wanna build another coop because I read you have to wait 18 weeks before introducing baby hens to fully grown rooster. Any advice would be helpful and thank you in advance

 

[DobieLover]

This is my first time ever raising chickens. My cousin had a friend drop off a rooster at his house and his rooster started to fight each other so he gave it to me. So I built a coop for it. I’m raising up 3 hens right now and there are about 4 to 5 weeks old. I wanted to move them to the coop really soon. But I’ve seen post about the rooster “raping” the baby hens. What should I do? there getting pretty big for there brooder I’ve kept them in and I want to move them to the coop. What should I do. I really don’t wanna build another coop because I read you have to wait 18 weeks before introducing baby hens to fully grown rooster. Any advice would be helpful and thank you in advance

Can you post pictures of the coop you built? If you have three pullet chicks plus the now rooster (cockerel?), your coop should be around 16-20 square feet. Do you have an attached run?
Ideally, you would raise the chicks in the coop with him in a brooder that they can get in and out of but he can't. Cockerels and roosters show no sexual interest in non-sexually mature pullets. However, when the pullets approach point of lay, the cockerel will mate them before they are fully ready. If it gets out of hand, he can be penned separately from them temporarily until they are a bit older.

 

[Barnes811]

Can you post pictures of the coop you built? If you have three pullet chicks plus the now rooster (cockerel?), your coop should be around 16-20 square feet. Do you have an attached run?
Ideally, you would raise the chicks in the coop with him in a brooder that they can get in and out of but he can't. Cockerels and roosters show no sexual interest in non-sexually mature pullets. However, when the pullets approach point of lay, the cockerel will mate them before they are fully ready. If it gets out of hand, he can be penned separately from them temporarily until they are a bit older.

I plan on letting them free range in yard, but the whole coop size is 10ft long and 5ft wise.

 

[Barnes811]

If I’m doing anything wrong please let me know. I don’t really much about chickens so I’m learning as I go.

 

[DobieLover]

If I’m doing anything wrong please let me know. I don’t really much about chickens so I’m learning as I go.

Your coop needs ventilation. It basically has none once the pop door is closed. You need fresh air coming in and stale air going out and you need a bare minimum of two points to get that accomplished.
You'll need to paint the OSB with something or it is just going to rot as it gets wet and swells. Are the bottom framing and exposed wood pressure treated? If not, the coop and run will start to rot out in a few years. But you can beef this structure up and see how keeping chickens appeals to you then design and build something better before that happens.
The wire fencing you've used to enclose it is not predator proof. You should go over it with 1/2" hardware cloth (on the outside) and install a predator apron all the way around the structure going 2' out. You can use the 2x4 wire fencing material for the apron. Pin down the outside edges with landscape pins and let the grass grow up through the apron.
Secure the cloth to the framing using either hammer in poultry staples or exterior grade screws and fender washers.
Is the sheet of OSB in the run section going to be the human access door? You need to get the door framed out and installed. Use 1/2" hardware cloth to cover the door and make sure you have no entrances anywhere into the run and coop that are larger than 1/2". You have several in the pictures that I can see.
Are you going to install a bump out nest box? You can use this style.
For ventilation, I would cut about 8" of the sheathing at the top of the front and back walls, add framing as needed, attach 1/2" WC to the openings and reinstall the sheathing top hinged to prevent rain from getting in ( as shown in red below with a matching one in the back. The little blue line represents a prop stick).
I would do the same with a window on the front at roost height. That window can be left open on hot summer nights.
How do you open the coop for cleaning?
Where is the roost inside the coop?
You've got some work to do before the chicks can go outside and the cockerel is not as secure as you may think.

 

[Barnes811]

Yes I still have to add the nesting spot and I have to frame the door in. Still I have the door and everything just have to instal it. I’m getting trim and everything is getting covered and painted. Next weekend. Yes the bottom is presser treated 2x4. Work is slowly down due to the whole virus thing going on so money is gonna be getting kinda tight soon. this is going to be the finished product. Once I get trim and paint it. And I’ll put in different wire.

 

[Barnes811]

Also to open the coop for cleaning I built a door on the back side you just open and scrape it all into a trash can. Which you don’t see in the photo.

 

[Barnes811]

Your coop needs ventilation. It basically has none once the pop door is closed. You need fresh air coming in and stale air going out and you need a bare minimum of two points to get that accomplished.
You'll need to paint the OSB with something or it is just going to rot as it gets wet and swells. Are the bottom framing and exposed wood pressure treated? If not, the coop and run will start to rot out in a few years. But you can beef this structure up and see how keeping chickens appeals to you then design and build something better before that happens.
The wire fencing you've used to enclose it is not predator proof. You should go over it with 1/2" hardware cloth (on the outside) and install a predator apron all the way around the structure going 2' out. You can use the 2x4 wire fencing material for the apron. Pin down the outside edges with landscape pins and let the grass grow up through the apron.
Secure the cloth to the framing using either hammer in poultry staples or exterior grade screws and fender washers.
Is the sheet of OSB in the run section going to be the human access door? You need to get the door framed out and installed. Use 1/2" hardware cloth to cover the door and make sure you have no entrances anywhere into the run and coop that are larger than 1/2". You have several in the pictures that I can see.
Are you going to install a bump out nest box? You can use this style.
For ventilation, I would cut about 8" of the sheathing at the top of the front and back walls, add framing as needed, attach 1/2" WC to the openings and reinstall the sheathing top hinged to prevent rain from getting in ( as shown in red below with a matching one in the back. The little blue line represents a prop stick).
I would do the same with a window on the front at roost height. That window can be left open on hot summer nights.
How do you open the coop for cleaning?
Where is the roost inside the coop?
You've got some work to do before the chicks can go outside and the cockerel is not as secure as you may think.
View attachment 2143020

I figured that wire would be good enough but I’ll definitely wrap it in a smaller kind. I really appreciate the input. I knew I still got work to do on it but I’ll do everything you mention. Much appreciated