need advice

[AdrieeC]

I have been wanting to raise chickens since I bought my first house with 1.5 acres last summer. Recently I stumbled upon a beautiful and healthy Welsummer Rooster for $5. 3 months old... so I brought him home, and now he needs girls. I have been looking all over for some hens for him, but I have not found any nearby. Apparently only two hatcheries sell Juvenile birds. One of which is almost half the price of the other per Pullet. I estemate the shipping charges will negate the savings regardless of where I buy them.

The hatcheries both have Red stars and black stars as well as longhorns. There would be a few weeks age difference between them and Wally, but do you think it would be alright to introduce them and have them living in the coup together soon after they arrive?

Also...part of the reason I got Wally was to have fertile eggs to hatch later on. Does anyone have any experience mixing any of these breeds, and how do you feel about it? If I have too many after hatching do you think someone would consider buying them?

Alternatively I could go to the feed store and pay $3 per chick for Red Stars, but then...wouldn't it be at least 5 months before I got any eggs from them. and would that not be too long for Wally to be alone?

Thanks for your help!

 

[underground chickenman]

Red Stars are hybrids, so their offspring cannot be predicted. That may not matter to you since you since it sounds like you don't mind cross-breeding your Welsummer roo. Whatever breeds you go with, I would either get similarly-aged pullets, or raise a flock of hens to maturity before introducing them. I would introduce the roo to the hens on their turf, not the other way around. Having said that, I am sure there is a success story for every possible combination of breeds, ages and introduction methods, as a lot of the success depends on the personalities of the birds involved. Therefore, what ever you do, go slow and keep an eye on things until it appears everybody is happy.


UGCM

 

[rhoda_bruce]

get whatever pullets you think you need/want, but hold off on the introduction for a few weeks. And when you do introduce, it might be good if they have been seeing each other for a while, but not able to get in contact. I personally like to supervise new introductions. He won't need to be alone for 5 months, just won't be reproducing. Good luck.

 

[AdrieeC]

OH... Someone said that if I introduced them before the pullets were laying that he would be mean to them but if I got older hens THEY would be mean to him. I honestly think that is about as close in age as I could get them. I could put the girls in the tractor until they lay their eggs while keeping wally on the enclosed front porch...letting them see each other during the day... then I can watch them interact with each other under supervised free ranging in the yard, then supervise visits to the coup until everyone is well adjusted.

While my Roo is indeed healthy, he is just kind of mopey...someone indicated it was because he was alone. So keeping them separate will cheer him up?

 

[bigstack]

which ever way you go in age there is going to be small fights! The chickens have to figure out who is boss. Basically- Pecking order! Who gets the best of everything. They should have small scuffels off and on. The lower birds will challenge a higher bird. or the higher bird has to remind a lower 1 of their place. But they should not be all out fights! It can be a lil scary the first few times. But usually its just a few ruffled feathers. There can be a lil blood now and then. depending on how tough the lower bird is. It is really just how much does the lower bird want to move up! Most of the time it can just be a few well placed pecks and maybe a kick. some just run away and scream! LOL It really depends on the birds personality and what they will allow from the others. That prolly dont help much. but its just how it is. any ages and breeds can be mixed. There will just be different levels of reaction upto and including fighting. I have seen roosters who could careless about anything! and I have seen 2 roosters seperated by a fence, Lay locked beak to beak through the fence until they both starved to death!!!! It just really depends. Sorry! wish I had more help to give.

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Quote:
I have heard that also, but really he still is very young himself. If you can just get some pullets started growing and get them to at least an age that you can begin to introduce them to each other, they can start acting like chickens together. He won't try mating until the early developers begin to show signs of sexual maturity. You will see later on that the pullets he mounts first will be the ones that have the brightest red combs. They will be the first also to give you eggs.......which I might add, seems like it takes forever to start, but comes in time. There will be a certain amount of pecking, but in this case, he is the one that is out #'d, so the danger will be less to the weaker. If you can allow the pullets to be normal chickens and put him in jail when he misbehaves, he will be at a disadvantage when he returns and will be less likely to harass.