Is it normal for cockerels to attack new pullets?

[Midnight_Moon]

Today we got 4 beautiful 10 wk old pullets (two sex-link and two barred rocks). They are standard size. We also have a small flock of 3 bantams cockerels and one standard cockerel and one Americauna bantam pullet. They about 16 weeks old. We wanted pullets so we were in the process of finding new homes for the cockerels (perhaps keeping just one) when these pullets came available. They kind of just fell into our laps so we didn't have much time to research how to intro them to our flock and yes, we are new at this. My ultimate goal is to have a small flock of 5-8 hens and a rooster. So I planned to rehome the other cockerels, keep one, and the Americauna pullet.

However, our cockerels (both bantam and the standard) are being AWFUL to these girls (attacking them, trying to mount them, the standard cockerel ripped a bunch of feathers out) and generally scaring them to death. Is it normal for the cockerels/roosters to do that to pullets/hens? I guess I expected fights if I brought more boys home but not girls. I thought the worst they'd do was fight with each other OVER the girls, not be mean TO the girls. These new girls are bigger than the bantams, but they don't fight back at all. They are really still babies, still "peep". I have the two flocks in separate runs for now, and will alternate their free range time until I get rid of the extra cockerels BUT sheesh! Now I am not sure I want a rooster if that's how they treat the hens!

Also - our little bantam Americauna pullet - we'd like to keep her, but considering her whole flock is boys - I am worried she will be super stressed out if they all go and its just her and the new pullets. Any tips there would be appreciated!

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

I think you may have too many roosters

 

[Ridgerunner]

I find this to be a good site to learn about flock integration.

Buff Hooligan’s Adding to your flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

You have some things working against you. Age is a big one. The cockerels are mainly just filling their oats but the pullets are not yet sexually mature. Integrating any chickens of that age can be difficult but the sex issue may be complicating it. If it were only a case of too many roosters then you would be seeing a fair amount of fighting between the roosters and you would be seeing it with the Ameraucana pullet. I'm not saying that is not a part of it, but I don't think it is the major part of it now. It could become more of an issue later.

Some of the behavior is normal pecking order stuff. Pecking order issues can look pretty bad but as long as no blood is drawn, that in itself is not a big area of concern. As Buff mentions, there are things you can do about some of them. Chickens are social animals that exist in flocks. They have developed means, basically the pecking order, to allow them to function as a group and live together pretty peacefully. They have to establish this pecking order to know where a chicken fits in their society and establishing this pecking order can be pretty vicious. Some individuals don't want to accept a lower social status.

Many people recommend that you put the new chickens in the coop at night so they wake up together. This supposedly reduces the pecking order issues. When the chickens wake up, they don't know where the new chickens fit in the pecking order and that has to be settled. Waking up together may actually help, but I personally think a lot of the benefit is that the pecking order issues are sometimes settled before the humans have a chance to intervene and make settling them more complicated.

The behavior you are describing is standard behavior. However it is the degree that can be a concern.

The physical size of the chicken is not all that important. It is the maturity and the spirit of the chicken that really count. Your pullets are still babies compared to the cockerels. By the way, if the ages were the same and the sexes were reversed, the pullets would be extremely vicious to the cockerels.

Some roosters are naturally vicious or have rough techniques, but most roosters take extremely good care of their flocks. I'd suggest you don't give up on a rooster until you've tried it.

When you change the makeup of the flock the pecking order changes. That will be temporarily stressful. However they will work it out. Your Ameraucana should be fine with the pullets and one rooster once the pecking order gets straightened out.

My suggestions are that you read Buff's article, keep the chickens separated but next to each other, rehome the extra cockerels, and when the time is right, enjoy your newly integrated flock. My guess is that you are more stressed by this than the Ameraucan pullet.

Good luck!

 

[Midnight_Moon]

Thank you for the responses and link. I read through it and think we have a relatively good system going for now.

Our coop is a shed with a chicken wire wall/door inside and an outside pen, so they always can get outside. We also open the door and let them free range the yard during the day. So right now we are having the flocks take turns being in the coop/run with the door closed and letting the other flock free range. We have the feeders at the fence so they can see each other as they eat. The boys were outside in the run overnight (we provided some roosts and we closed the access door and let the girls sleep in the coop. I felt that it was important to allow them to sleep where they will be sleeping since they are new and more vulnerable than the other flock.

This is our short term solution. My long term solution is - as you said - to get rid of the extra cockerels, and integrate the remaining pullet and maybe one rooster, I am still thinking about that.

I wanted to respond to one thing Ridgerunner said
"If it were only a case of too many roosters then you would be seeing a fair amount of fighting between the roosters and you would be seeing it with the Ameraucana pullet."

The roosters have been fighting for weeks. They have generally left the Ameraucana alone though. Until this morning. When I went out to check on them (as I am doing frequently all day) I saw the large standard cockerel try to mount her, pinning her neck etc. She did not take kindly to that! And he is alot bigger than her. This is the guy I'd like to keep. Just wondering if all the "sexual tension" of seeing the girls on the other side of the fence is going to make the roosters start picking on the Amer. pullet? I have this urge to put her out with the other pullets! She is tiny compared to them, so I don't think she could do much harm. Should I do it or just leave well enough alone?

My other question is that one of the cockerels seems to really like the pullets. He's a black rosecomb bantam. The first hour (before we separated everyone he was eating peacefully with them at the feeder. And a bit later he was out foraging and they started peeping and he came running over to check on them. He also was pacing back and forth at the fence last night wanting to get in. He has not ever pecked at them or tried to mount them. So...is this the rooster we should keep? He's not MY favorite, and eventually these girls are going to dwarf him. What do you think?

Thank you so much for reading this and for any help you can give. I am new here!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not going to respond to which rooster for you to keep. That has to be your choice for your reasons.

At 16 weeks, some pullets begin to lay and some cockerels can fertilize eggs. It is very young and the average is probably closer to 20 to 21 weeks, but thy are getting into the sexual active range. I see nothing unusual about a 16 week old cockerel mounting a 16 week old pullet and nothing unusual about her not liking it. Some hens never seem to like mating no matter how mature they are but it is natures's way to propogate the species. They are going through adolescence, some marure faster than others, and they don't understand the changes they are going through.

As far as putting the Ameraucana in with the 10 week old pullets, it could possibly work. They still have to work out the pecking order, but with 1 older one and 4 younger ones, it could work out well. They are going to be together eventually. I'd probably give them a few more days to get used to each other through the fence, then try it when you can be home to monitor them.

 

[Midnight_Moon]

It wouldn't surprise me if my Americauna was getting ready to lay. I noticed her cheeks and comb are getting very bright pink the last few days! As far as the boys, they are no doubt going through puberty. They mount each other sometimes. They seem to think that the tiny bantam cockerel is the prettiest

I think we will wait it out a few days to a week and then try the girls all together. I am ok with at bit of squabbling - it was the ripping out of feathers trying to mount our new "babies" yesterday that surpassed my tolerance level!