lost my roo..need advice

[aChickandHerPeeps]

Hi. Im a new chicken person and i started small. i got 2 bantam barred rock girls and a bantam sussex roo. unfortunatly my dog chased my roo into our backyard pond and he drowned

i wanted to get either another roo or maybe 2 more girls? i got all 3 at the fair and dont remember the farm they came from.. and only have a small coop(to start) that can fit 6 bantams comfortably. but im afraid that a new roo would be mean to them.but they felt really safe with my last roo. anyone have any suggestions on which is a better idea? or any suggestions at all? i want to stick with bantams and mine are id say just over a year? my roo didnt even crow yet... again any suggestions would be great! thank you!!!

 

[gryeyes]

If it were ME, I'd get 3 or 4 young chicks, one of 'em a cockerel, and raise 'em. Then when they are old enough to be integrated into your flock of two, they'll won't be as old, the pecking order will involved EVERYBODY not just a single roo being introduced to your two hens. (Now, I understand bantams are generally not sexed, but straight run, so you could end up with more than one rooster .....)

Or you could get 3 or 4 young birds already old enough to know whether they are girls or boys, and make one of those a boy.

In any case, don't get just one bird. Your two hens could pick on a single bird pretty badly. Younger ones would be better challenged by the 2 hens, but grow up with them, and then the rooster would naturally become the head of the flock over time.

Other, more knowledgeable members may have other opinions and suggestions.

 

[jjthink]

Quote:
So sad

So sorry to hear this. That dog and chickens do not/cannot mix. Hopefully a failsafe system from here forward will keep the others safe. I hope you find the right mix of birds so that there is peace in birdland. So much depends on the personalities of individual birds and in many ways it's the luck of the draw.
JJ

 

[aChickandHerPeeps]

thank you. the dog situation has been fixed. she was off her chain and she usually isnt. both dogs have new chains and are good. my chickens have a fenced in bottom to their coop and i let them out to free range once and a while because its not a big area at all.. this was one of those times. he was doing his rooster duties keeping the dog from the girls and he hadnt been down by the pond yet. she didnt bite him she jsut chased him. it was a very sad day

my girls are still young do you think if i got 2 around their age they would be ok?

 

[aChickandHerPeeps]

Quote:
Thank you! Do you think if i got 2 more hens it would be ok as long as they were younger? or a hen and a roo from the same place that are good together? and i was afraid of the just one issue too. glad i asked!! i feel if a roo is around they would feel safer because i wont have a big flock. my roo died this weekend and plan on getting some at the chicken swap this wekend.. if its a short time between the roo passing would they still "rule the roost" agaisnt newbees?

 

[sharol]

Be sure to quarantine any newcomer for a time to keep them from sharing infection. How long? someone? someone?

 

[Yazzo]

Sorry about the loss of your rooster.

I would say get some chicks, or youngsters, to make it much easier to tame them. As for your new rooster being mean, if you spend enough time with him, aren't scared or him, and just pick him up now and then, he should be fine. You may want to check this out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=390911
Good luck!