Introducing Rooster

[Quinnten]

I’ve got one Cuckoo Maran/English Orpington mix rooster approximately 3/4 months old, I’m trying to integrate him into my flock of 4 Wyandottes that are approximately 3 months old. He’s pecked them a few times and pecked their feet. Is this normal, and if so, how long can I expect it to last. I also have approximately 25 chicks that are a week old and will be joining him soon if that matters. Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It usually takes up to two weeks for things to get settled down. Because he's pecking the feet, I'd watch him closely to make sure he doesn't injure the hens.

As far as the week old chicks, I wouldn't put them together with the rooster or hens. They're too young to protect themselves against the older ones. I'd wait till they're two months old at the youngest, but preferred three months and older before adding them.

 

[Quinnten]

It usually takes up to two weeks for things to get settled down. Because he's pecking the feet, I'd watch him closely to make sure he doesn't injure the hens.

As far as the week old chicks, I wouldn't put them together with the rooster or hens. They're too young to protect themselves against the older ones. I'd wait till they're two months old at the youngest, but preferred three months and older before adding them.

I was going to wait a few months before adding the littles of course.

 

[3KillerBs]

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

 

[Morrigan]

Some pecking is normal as they sort things out. As long as no one is bleeding or being injured, I would just let it play out.

As far as putting the little one's in, my philosophy is to ingrate them as early as possible as I've found that most older chickens generally pay little mind to younger chicks, and it actually becomes harder to ingrate if you wait too long.

My approach is as follows. Once the chicks are around 3 weeks old, I section off an area of the coop for them. I'll put a mother hen brooding pad in there if they still need heat. When they are 4 or 5 weeks old, I open up a chick sized passage way to the main coop, so the chicks can go explore the coop, but have a place to safely retreat to that the big chickens can't get to. By 6 weeks old, I remove the partition. There is still going to be a little pecking and chasing, as some of the older chickens make sure the youngsters know their place, but nothing out of the norm.