Nervous

[DontesChicks]

Our black pullet, Chick Norris, and our cockerel, Cornelius, have been together since day one literally. They are now ten weeks old and are going to live with a family friend who has eight hens. My concern is how attached Chick and Corny are. They are almost always side by side as in the photos and I’m afraid they won’t adapt with the other chickens. I was thinking about bringing just one from their coop out to the “corral” in the yard a few times for alone time before they go. I’m heartbroken that I can’t keep them, but they will be better off in the long run.
Any suggestions?

 

[Shadrach]

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Our black pullet, Chick Norris, and our cockerel, Cornelius, have been together since day one literally. They are now ten weeks old and are going to live with a family friend who has eight hens. My concern is how attached Chick and Corny are. They are almost always side by side as in the photos and I’m afraid they won’t adapt with the other chickens. I was thinking about bringing just one from their coop out to the “corral” in the yard a few times for alone time before they go. I’m heartbroken that I can’t keep them, but they will be better off in the long run.
Any suggestions?

If they are going as a pair I think they'll be fine.

 

[Folly's place]

This sounds like a very good plan. It's a lot tougher to rehome one bird, although one cockerel or adult rooster moving to an all girl flock will be very happy!
There will be social adjustments in the short term, but it should work out well.
Mary

 

[aart]

If they are going as a pair I think they'll be fine.

Ditto Dat^^^
....especially if the new keeper integrates them well.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The are 10 weeks old and the other eight hens are adults. Initially they will not adapt very well as far as them all gathering together around the campfire, roasting marshmallows for S'mores, and singing Cum ba yah. That comes later when your two mature. Until then the older hens outrank them in the pecking order and can be pretty stern in enforcing those pecking order rights. Chicks typically learn really quickly to avoid adults. It's good that there are two of them so they can form a sub-flock.

I don't know how that family friend manages the chickens. If there is sufficient room it will probably go pretty smoothly. If room is tight there are more likely to be issues. When he goes through puberty things are likely to get exciting, either the hens beating him up because he is a boy or he may harass the hens while he takes over as flock master. Male adolescence can get hectic. But eventually he will mature enough to take over the flock and things will be peaceful. A lot of time it does go really peacefully, the more room the better. It's so peaceful you wonder what all the concern was. I just don't want you panicking if there are some issues, those usually work out fine.

 

[MomJones]

The are 10 weeks old and the other eight hens are adults. Initially they will not adapt very well as far as them all gathering together around the campfire, roasting marshmallows for S'mores, and singing Cum ba yah. That comes later when your two mature. Until then the older hens outrank them in the pecking order and can be pretty stern in enforcing those pecking order rights. Chicks typically learn really quickly to avoid adults. It's good that there are two of them so they can form a sub-flock.

I don't know how that family friend manages the chickens. If there is sufficient room it will probably go pretty smoothly. If room is tight there are more likely to be issues. When he goes through puberty things are likely to get exciting, either the hens beating him up because he is a boy or he may harass the hens while he takes over as flock master. Male adolescence can get hectic. But eventually he will mature enough to take over the flock and things will be peaceful. A lot of time it does go really peacefully, the more room the better. It's so peaceful you wonder what all the concern was. I just don't want you panicking if there are some issues, those usually work out fine.