New Roo and good deed for the day

[TrialandError]

So had a girls day out with my mom today before I had to go to work. Went went to the local feed store cause we thought their big sale was today but we were a week early. So I said hey mom lets visit the local chicken farm since we are up that way anyways so we did. It's a small mom and pop type set up but the pop was super nice. We got to talking and walking as we walked around looking at the birds. He showed me what he had available for sale and I had 2 birds picked out. A female Amercuna and a Roo Welsummer.

I didn't have money on me so had to go to the closest store but before we left to go to the store we did more chatting. turns out he had been trying for 3 days to change out his starter in his truck so he could go get hay. He had been in an accident involving a horse many years before but it had left him with a slipped disc that caused nerve damage which resulted in loss of feeling in his arm. If any of you know mechanics there are 3 bolts on a starter. 2 of which can be seen visibly and the other you have to feel for. Well with having no feeling in his hand that made it impossible.

Before I went to get the money for the birds I handed my mom my keys, phone, and sunglasses. Asked the guy where the tools were got under the truck and got the starter unbolted for him. He was so grateful he gave me the Amercuna for free and charged me $20 for the roo. Me and my mom head off to the store and when we get back to get the birds he tells me he is giving me his breeding male Welsummer show winning bird and will keep the son for his breeding program. This roo is huge and beautiful and pics will come tomorrow as the bird is temporarily at my moms until I get off work and pick him up and take him home.

Couple questions though. Seeing as he is older how hard will it be to integrate him into my current flock? They are all pullets but only 3 months old. Is there anything I need to watch for? Thanks in advance.

 

[donrae]

What a sweet thing to do for someone!

My older roosters have not bothered my pullets, but they've usually had mature hens in the mix also. You can try putting the new guy with the little ladies, you'll just have to watch and see how things go. He's old enough he may be a total gentleman ( the time of year might help, too), or he may be so used to mating that he tries to mate your girls too early. It's one of those "impossible to predict" situations. If you try putting them all together, I'd have an immediate back up plan in place, somewhere to house him until the ladies are 5-6 months.

 

[aart]

You go girl with that wrench!! Great skills and some instant karma.

Donrae's covered it well.

The new hen (or pullet-how old is she?) might not fare as well as the adult cockbird.
Would probably be best to keep the new birds separated by wire for the time being before allowing them to meet your existing pullets.


Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine ArticlePoultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

It's about territory and resources(space/food/water). Existing birds will almost always attack new ones.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide out of line of sight and/or up and away from any bully birds.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders. If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.

Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[TrialandError]

He apparently just finished a molt and the females he was with weren't even laying eggs. I stuck him in the coop last night at midnight so they all woke up together. So far all has been well. No fighting or anything thankfully. My pullets are 3 months old.

I told the guy that if he needs help putting the new one in to let me know. I doubt he will but I offered to help him. I miss working on cars.

 

[donrae]

He's a fine looking guy!

 

[Mrs. K]

He is a beauty, and you are a very fine person. Generosity is a good solid trait, and it "comes home to roost."

Mrs K

 

[N F C]

What a great story! So nice you were able to help him out and how nice of him to give you a great deal on the birds. The roo is a handsome guy, hope all goes well fitting the new birds in with your existing flock.

 

[aart]

He's a nice looking cockbird for sure.....if he's mature(old enough with experience) he'll not bother the pullets, he'll know they are not mature enough to mount.

Not so sure that's a pure Welsummer tho...his white legs(Wellie's have yellow legs) would certainly preclude him from any SOP show prizes.
Plumage coloration doesn't look quite right either.....but maybe both are due to the low light and my old eyes.

Here is a pure Wellie cockbird, no prize winner either, he has many faults.

 

[TrialandError]

He's a nice looking cockbird for sure.....if he's mature(old enough with experience) he'll not bother the pullets, he'll know they are not mature enough to mount. Not so sure that's a pure Welsummer tho...his white legs(Wellie's have yellow legs) would certainly preclude him from any SOP show prizes. Plumage coloration doesn't look quite right either.....but maybe both are due to the low light and my old eyes. Here is a pure Wellie cockbird, no prize winner either, he has many faults.

Thanks. My boys legs do look light and his comb is odd. But nontheless he is pretty. Your boy is beautiful as well. Here are some more pics of my guy. He is as quiet as a church mouse to.