Introducing pullet to Slightly older rooster

[Gdurham]

Hi everyone,

I have one rooster who is about ten weeks old. He’s lonely and by himself currently. When will it be okay to introduce him to our hens who are six weeks old?

(He is older because our first hatchery order was all roosters and I rehomed three. Then we got attached to the one while new chicks were growing)

 

[RainbowHen]

Hi everyone,

I have one rooster who is about ten weeks old. He’s lonely and by himself currently. When will it be okay to introduce him to our hens who are six weeks old?

(He is older because our first hatchery order was all roosters and I rehomed three. Then we got attached to the one while new chicks were growing)

Personally I wouldn't. He could injure them. His hormones will be raging soon and they will be younger than him. It's best to introduce cockerels to pullets after the girls have matured and started laying to prevent injury.

 

[Gdurham]

Personally I wouldn't. He could injure them. His hormones will be raging soon and they will be younger than him. It's best to introduce cockerels to pullets after the girls have matured and started laying to prevent injury.

Eeek! they're getting too big for the brooder and I can't set up another coop. Yikes, now I don't know what to do.

 

[aart]

Eeek! they're getting too big for the brooder and I can't set up another coop.

How big is the coop and run you have?
Dimensions and pics would help here.

Are you positive all the younger chicks are female?
6 weeks it is usually pretty obvious wit most breeds.

FYI-PSA.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.

 

[Gdurham]

How big is the coop and run you have?
Dimensions and pics would help here.

Are you positive all the younger chicks are female?
6 weeks it is usually pretty obvious wit most breeds.

FYI-PSA.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is always a good thing to note.

Thanks! I’m learning. My three pullets are 6 weeks old and my one cockerel is 10 weeks.

the coop is 16 Sq ft and the run is 40 sq ft. I have another thread with pics, but I’ll attach one here too.
Also a link to the page with more in depth pics. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/which-is-easier.1368401/page-5

 

[mcdze]

for one when theyre not mature chickens are generally not aggressive its a matter of size only and a larger bird will hog all the food .. just need to make sure theres enough food nobody gets pushed out .. they still have a couple of months to go before theyre 'starting' to get matured .. but 'if' theres a problem you can section off the coop with wire or whatever is easiest ..

 

[Gdurham]

For their first day altogether, since I can’t monitor all day and he is much larger still, I did rig a temporary partition out of an old baby gate. Once they get even bigger, I’ll have to make a better one to give them more space.