Lonely cockerel

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Hi All,

So I had two pairs of one hen and one cockerel. This was all working out fine until unfortunately one of my hens got sick, and sadly she passed away about 3 weeks ago.

Since then, one of my cockerels has been living on his own- clearly I cannot put him in with the other pair as that would result in a fight between the two boys, and so now I am wondering what I should do.

Firstly, I do not want to get rid of the cockerel, I have had him since he hatched and I am very attached to him.

Secondly, I don't think that keeping him on his own is an option, as it simply seems cruel to do so.

This leads me to think that I should introduce some hens to him. I think that I should get two hens instead of just the one, as this may be cruel for the one hen being on her own as they don't know each other.

So I want to introduce two hens to a now agitated and lonely cockerel, and having had no experience of ever doing this before, I am wondering how exactly I should go about it?!

Any ideas and advice would be great!!

Thanks!
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Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. You should actually get several hens if you're going to keep hens with him. The recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens. As they mature and their hormones kick in, too many roosters (or too few hens in your case) will become very hard on your hens; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their backs and necks, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Cheers.
 
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I agree with Michael O'Shay that getting several girls would be best for your boy. Before you put them all together though, you'll want to have a period of isolation for the new birds so you can be sure they aren't bringing in an illness or pest.

Good luck and thanks for joining us!
 
Integrating new hens to your rooster - may turn the tables on him. Often hens will fight a rooster they don't know. Your established hens won't be thrilled with strangers either. It's best to follow the " look but, don't touch," method through a slow introduction.
 
Welcome to the BYC flock! We are glad you joined us!

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Looks like you've gotten some good advice here. I hope you are able to find some hens and work to integrate them soon.
 

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