New Roo Issue

[foxy2320]

So I just found out this week that one my pullets (JayJay) is actually a cockerel. He hasn't displayed any roo behavior, he's about 6-7 months old, but apparently the blue laced red wyandottes are pretty slow-maturing. I brought in a 1.5 year old blue laced roo to diversify bloodline (JayJay is related to my two blue laced pullets) and to help protect the flock. He is in a wire crate in the run, and immediately JayJay went over to investigate. For the first time his hackles went up and they started fighting through the crate. The new roo was obviously at a disadvantage, but he bloodied up JayJay's waddles a little bit. I kept pushing JayJay off, and after a few minutes he went and kept to his own. He hasn't gone near the new roo since, and I've been watching to make sure the girls don't start getting curious about the wound. It stopped bleeding pretty quick, he's acting completely fine. Is this just normal pecking order stuff or am I going to have a longtime battle on my hand? The new guy comes from a home with multiple roos and he's always gotten along with them, especially younger ones, so I'm hoping it's just normal establishment of pecking order. He hasn't shown any aggressiveness towards myself, my husband, or the girls. A few of the girls even stick their heads in his crate to share his food

 

[alaskapalo]

How large is your flock?
Usually more that one roo in a flock is ok, but it depends on how large of a run there is and how many hens you have. I would try searching for threads about integrating roos and how people keep the peace between them.

Good luck!

 

[foxy2320]

I have 8 hens and two roos. I've heard that can be a little too small a ratio, but the new roo has some great qualities that I want in my breeding program, and I will be adding more girls as soon as I can get my second coop built. So it's a temporarily small group, but like I said, my existing roo is not demonstrating any roo behavior yet.

 

[donrae]

They always need to decide who is boss, one way or another. Sometimes it's just posturing, sometimes it's to the death. Keeping them seperated by a fence might be a good idea for a while, they can spar a little through the fence and see if they settle it out before they can do big damage to each other.

 

[foxy2320]

The new roo was incredibly unhappy in the dog crate, and all my girls and JayJay were completely uninterested in him, so I decided to test the waters and open his crate. Two of my girls walked right in and started eating with him. He eventually came out, started scratching around, had a few quick little pecks with a few of the ladies, and one more stare down/scuffle with JayJay before he retreated. It came time to put them in the run, and all was peaceful. JayJay was first in the coop and went straight to the lower roost. I went back after dusk and the new roo was up top with a few of the girls. I didn't latch the coop door in case they need to get out right away in the morning (the coop is currently in a predator-proof dog run; when it's warm I don't close the coop at all), so I'm hoping that since JayJay is so young and not really realizing he's a roo yet that today was the most eventful day.

 

[donrae]

Cool, I hope things stay peaceful at your place!

I don't have a door seperating my run and coop, they just flow where they want to go.