mjkern3030
In the Brooder
I have a situation that I need advice on. I am also doing a search and taking all the suggestions of past posts. BUT...
I have two new roosters at about 10-15 weeks that are somewhat close to full grown.
I have 6 existing hens, two are buffs, two are Rhode Island Reds, between those 4 they are rather aggressive. I have one with feathers on its toes, it is very aggressive too. The roosters are Easter eggers (Americana) roosters, they are JUST starting to get combs - which they are late bloomers as americanas. I have one americana that is extremely jittery as one of the older hens (to round out the 6). This 6 is 2-3 years old.
I also have 11 hens (i think) chicks that are 7-8 weeks old that I have raised from a hatchery. They are growing big fast. They were vaccinated and I have been raising them seperate since their birth/hatching. One of the more timid roosters I would like to introduce to the 11 hens/chicks very soon. I think it is ok to introduce him into that flock. I would like to introduce the other rooster (the more aggressive one) to the older hens. I will eventually move a few of the 11 hens to the other flock when they grow closer to the same size. I have one old coop with a large run. I am building another coop, that coop will be moved to a pasture where sheep and goats live, and the older hens will be the free range chickens in that pasture that will eventually have some of the younger hens/chicks added to (they were previously free range, but are currently stuck in the run lately. I think it is easy enough to figure out how to introduce the younger hens/chicks to the older, just wait until they are close to the same size and slip them in at night. The roosters have been within sight of the 11 chicks until just recently, and the roosters will be moved to the older hen area.
But introducing the roosters to the two flocks, am a little head scratching at. I have tried to do some supervised visits to the older hens for the roosters, there was some pecking on the roosters. I am about to put them in the large run in a smaller self contained run to keep them separate but within sight. They will have a small coop so they can stay in the run safe 24/7. Confused if I should put both roosters in there until I move the older hens out with one of the roosters or should I put just the one that will live with those hens and keep the other separate. They are very close to when they will fight each other, so they need to be separated at some point.
Once the second coop is built and moved to the pasture, I would move the older hens, then take the younger chicks and move them to the old coop. Eventually, I am building an additional new coop and putting that in a different part of the acreage so there will be some significant distance between the two remote free range coops. I will still have a tiny coop for chicks when the roosters have babies, and the old coop with large run for emergencies.
I am building them so there is a lot of covered run space because we are up north in snow country so they will need to have some room without snow during the winter.
During the non-snow times, free range would be statement of work as it were.
Any suggestions on how to work the roosters in and if it is ok to put a larger rooster with younger chicks at 10 weeks? my plan with putting the rooster in the run in a smaller run is to eventually move him in during sleep - but I won't have any females that I can add too. Does that make sense?
I have two new roosters at about 10-15 weeks that are somewhat close to full grown.
I have 6 existing hens, two are buffs, two are Rhode Island Reds, between those 4 they are rather aggressive. I have one with feathers on its toes, it is very aggressive too. The roosters are Easter eggers (Americana) roosters, they are JUST starting to get combs - which they are late bloomers as americanas. I have one americana that is extremely jittery as one of the older hens (to round out the 6). This 6 is 2-3 years old.
I also have 11 hens (i think) chicks that are 7-8 weeks old that I have raised from a hatchery. They are growing big fast. They were vaccinated and I have been raising them seperate since their birth/hatching. One of the more timid roosters I would like to introduce to the 11 hens/chicks very soon. I think it is ok to introduce him into that flock. I would like to introduce the other rooster (the more aggressive one) to the older hens. I will eventually move a few of the 11 hens to the other flock when they grow closer to the same size. I have one old coop with a large run. I am building another coop, that coop will be moved to a pasture where sheep and goats live, and the older hens will be the free range chickens in that pasture that will eventually have some of the younger hens/chicks added to (they were previously free range, but are currently stuck in the run lately. I think it is easy enough to figure out how to introduce the younger hens/chicks to the older, just wait until they are close to the same size and slip them in at night. The roosters have been within sight of the 11 chicks until just recently, and the roosters will be moved to the older hen area.
But introducing the roosters to the two flocks, am a little head scratching at. I have tried to do some supervised visits to the older hens for the roosters, there was some pecking on the roosters. I am about to put them in the large run in a smaller self contained run to keep them separate but within sight. They will have a small coop so they can stay in the run safe 24/7. Confused if I should put both roosters in there until I move the older hens out with one of the roosters or should I put just the one that will live with those hens and keep the other separate. They are very close to when they will fight each other, so they need to be separated at some point.
Once the second coop is built and moved to the pasture, I would move the older hens, then take the younger chicks and move them to the old coop. Eventually, I am building an additional new coop and putting that in a different part of the acreage so there will be some significant distance between the two remote free range coops. I will still have a tiny coop for chicks when the roosters have babies, and the old coop with large run for emergencies.
I am building them so there is a lot of covered run space because we are up north in snow country so they will need to have some room without snow during the winter.
During the non-snow times, free range would be statement of work as it were.
Any suggestions on how to work the roosters in and if it is ok to put a larger rooster with younger chicks at 10 weeks? my plan with putting the rooster in the run in a smaller run is to eventually move him in during sleep - but I won't have any females that I can add too. Does that make sense?
