Pecking order- Leave them be or intervene?

[daniel-delarosa]

I put a new bantam roo in with my 6 Buff Chantecler hens and 1 rooster. The little bantam is getting picked on like crazy. I put him in a cage inside the coop to see if that will help. Hes been in there for two days now. How long will it take for them to get used to him. Or should I let him out and let them work it out? I feel bad because he is so dang small.

 

[Zaxby's2]

I think you should get him some banty hens to go with him.

You might want to consider separating him with a flock of his own, that way the hens won't get over mated from having too many roosters.

It's okay if you don't, and I would say that if you want to put him back in with your standards then wait a couple days and then put him in. If things get serious, separate them, but as long as nothing serious is happening then let it happen, because the pecking order needs to be worked out. Good luck!

 

[KDK1]

How big is your coop?

 

[daniel-delarosa]

The coop and run is 8x15 all together. The coop is elevated also.

 

[7L Farm]

Its hard to intro one chicken & really hard if the chicken is smaller or even a different color. I intro one dom to my flock of 10 & one roo RIR's it took three months to get her accepted. I will never I repeat never do it again.

 

[daniel-delarosa]

Would two be easier? I can get another one from the same flock.

 

[bobbi-j]

Could be he'd at least have a buddy that way... But I think you're going to just have to let them work it out, either way. Can they get outside so he has a chance to escape?

 

[sourland]

Established flock roosters rarely accept another rooster in an enclosed space. Given his size and sex I doubt that the bantam rooster can be successfully introduced to this flock.

 

[Cpprpnny19]

He most likely will get beaten up so badly that he will die on you.
From what I understand, 2 roosters not raised together will not
tolerate each other?
I have a hen that was put in at night with a flock of red and white
hens and 1 rooster-she was attacked and all the feathers on her topknot ripped
out.

I have her here now and so far after 3 days she looks like she will make it.

 

[Beekissed]

I'd give it a week and then try to integrate once more. See if he is seriously getting injured or merely run around and pecked whenever he approaches. I admit that free ranging allows for more freedom when it comes to integration but his breed, size or sex shouldn't matter one iota. He will learn to avoid the top roo and the hens will accept him given time.

I've integrated roos of different sources, chicks of different ages, hens from another place, etc. It all helps if they are given time to get used to each other before they actually can touch. They will still have to establish a pecking order but they shouldn't continue this after this had been established. It might also help if you separate him along with one of your more friendly hens and reintroduce them both back into the flock in about a week.