My Rooster is a big Chicken! Questions...

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Update on my new Rooster, Big Sur;

After quarantine I slowly introduced him to my flock of pullets (they are about 4 weeks older). At first he tried dominating them, but I think he was overwhelmed as he was outnumbered... He was getting picked on by everyone, was too afraid to come down off the roosts and eat, and he even stopped crowing. I was worried he wasn't happy so I started putting him in their big coop at night and then moved in the next pen over during the day. I think he was lonely, but definitely happier. That worked for a couple weeks.

I then ended up getting two rescue hens (about a year old), after their quarantine I moved them into his pen during the day, so they were in their separate cage at night but out with him during the day. They bonded almost immediately. About 2 days of very small scuffles and he was top dog! Errr, top chicken. He loves those two hens, and they submit and let him "do his deed".

After about a week of this arrangement, I started putting EVERYONE in the big coop at night. The next morning when I went to move him into his pen, I found him on the ground with his ladies eating and drinking and crowing like normal! They totally brought him out of his shell and he is good to them.

Now all the chickens are in the big coop at night and in the big yard during the day, and then free-range in the evenings. He comes out just like all the other ones and acts as normal as can be. I even saw him mating some of the other lower ranking pullets. He steers clear of the high ranking other pullets but follows "his two" around constantly and never lets them out of his sight. Some of the higher ranking pullets do still chase him away from his food though.

So my question is; is all this normal? How long before he will try to dominate everyone? He is much bigger than they are. He is about 5 months and the pullets are about 6 months.

Here is his pics.

In the evening free-ranging.

Following one of his ladies.

Eating.

Look how tall I am! I'm looking in the treat cup for treats!

 

[cobrien]

it's been a long time since I've had a rooster but this sounds very normal to me. same thing happened with the addition of my recent batch of hens to my flock. the new ones are bigger breeds than the older ones. when they were 5 - 7 months old the new girls were already bigger than the older ones but were lower ranking and getting picked on. then they realized how big they are at about 7-8 months and became the dominant ones. so my guess is that you might see transitions soon.

 

[chicks4kids]

I have a lower rank rooster who gets bossed around by some of the older and more experienced hens. He is learning how to be trickier in order to get what he wants. It has been a long process, and there still are some hens who say "NO" and make him run for his life, but don't worry, your boy will find the tricks of the trade to persuade his ladies

 

[gritsar]

He's only five months old. Give the boy some time. He will finally mature to the point that he'll give those older hens a what for.