Questions about timing and age for introducing roosters.

[fluffycrow]

If you want him to make alarm calls, search for an older cockerel. Put him with the pullets, he'll be fine. The only problem is that you'll need to gain his trust

 

[NatJ]

I was told with the amount of girls total 2 would be good
1 for the older girls now and 1 when the babies get integrated.
That's why I'm confused now.
I'm not looking to have any babies yet so that's ok
I want one now to put with the girls as a warning call. I know he'll protect them, but he would be my baby too so I don't want him to have to give his life doing so. I work from home and he would be the alert i can hear through the house.
Then was told if I hand raise one now with the baby girls so that he will be be established with them and the integration will be easier?

If you just want warning calls, one male should be sufficient.

If you get an adult male, you can put him with the older girls now, and that will do most of what you want.

Integrating the younger girls will probably go more smoothly if there is only one total male, rather than one male in each group.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I wanted to raise the roosters but I don't know how the dynamic would be if I introduce roosters that are smaller and younger than the OGs

We all get different results. Each chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. Those dynamics can change as young chickens mature or you add or subtract flock members. We house and manage them differently. How much room they have in the coop and especially outside and when that room is available can have a big effect. I cannot tell you what will happen because I don't know. I can tell you a few different things that might happen.

At 8 months your pullets should be acting like mature hens. They are probably laying. They have set up the pecking order within their group, they know which pullet is the dominant flock master. You may not know which one is dominant but they do.

If you introduce a mature rooster what often happens is that he marches in full of self-confidence and swagger. He WOW's them with his magnificence just by showing up. He mates a hen or two and the flock is his. It can be about the easiest integration there is. But if he doesn't have that level of self-confidence he does not "wow" them. They don't readily submit. Sometimes the dominant hen is not ready to give up her position to him. Some girls can have very strong personalities, some are pretty easy going. The girls and their personalities have a lot to say about how this goes. It can get violent and vicious so you have to pay attention and be prepared to act if you need to. The worst combination is a weak boy and a strong girl.

If you get a younger cockerel and raise him with the flock, at some point puberty will hit. The hormones can take over and tell him to be the dominant chicken. Boys may fight each other. At that age the mating act is not about fertilizing the eggs, often with pullets the same age there are no eggs. The one on bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, at least temporarily. That acceptance can be willing or by force. At this stage it is usually by force but not always. Usually means a lot of the time. It can get fairly violent. This is when a lot of cockerels literally lose their heads and become dinner. It can be hard to watch. I'm not trying to downplay that part of it.

But different things can happen as they go through this phase. I'm talking about the case with older hens in the flock, usually with some pullets the same age as the cockerel. Or cockerels. Often I see the boys chase the pullets their age to force them to mate and the older flock dominant hen ignores this. But if he tries to mate with an older hen the dominant hen might knock him off or chase him away. No big deal, she's just showed hm she is the boss. Or she might chase him down to beat the crap out of him. She might do that if he tries to mate a younger pullet in her presence. Or he might fight back instead of run away. This phase can actually be pretty peaceful but as someone in here once said watching them go through puberty is often not for the faint of heart.

I believe the more room they have the less likely you are to have a bad outcome. If they can run away and get away the violence is often greatly reduced. If they can stay separated there is less chance of violence to start with. Many behavior problems are intensified if they are squeezed together.

I typically raise about 20 cockerels and 20 pullets with my flock every year until butcher age. With the boys that's 4 to 5 months of age. The way I play with genetics means I practically always keep a new cockerel every year and eat the old rooster when his replacement is about 6 months old. They have over 3,000 square feet available outside so they are not crowded. Most years the cockerel peacefully takes over as flock master by the time he is 7 months old, almost always peacefully. Once I had a 5 month old cockerel do that but that is rare at that age. I had one that could not take over until he was 11 months old. That was a strong dominant hen and a weak spirited boy and was pretty violent. He won but it took two vicious days.

When I typically see it get rough is when the cockerels first hit puberty, usually around 4 months though that can vary. A few of the more dominant fight with each other, most of the boys don't. Some of the boys chase the pullets to force them to mate. There is a dominant rooster in there at this time. If the boys bother the older hens (usually just one or two of the boys) those hens run to the rooster and he scares the boys off, usually with no violence. About once every three or four years it gets rough enough that I separate out about a dozen older cockerels to grow them to butcher age separated from the flock. They may be getting too rough with the pullets or fighting with the dominant rooster. Each year is different, I never know what will happen so I pay attention and base my actions on what I see.

What I do is based on my perceptions of what is acceptable. As long as no one is getting hurt I generally let them work it out. I see a lot of that behavior as them growing up with the flock. But I do have my limits. I've never had a pullet actually injured going through this phase. I did have one cockerel kill another, I misjudged that one and did not take steps in time. Some people have the opinion that any of this behavior is unacceptable, I'd question if they should even have a male of any age. That's just not natural but that is my perception.

A good mature rooster should not bother immature pullets until they are ready to lay eggs. Not all mature roosters are good but a lot are. With an immature cockerel who knows what will happen. With your situation and what I perceive to be your goals, I'd go with one mature rooster and see what happens.

 

[Aliceismad106]

We all get different results. Each chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. Those dynamics can change as young chickens mature or you add or subtract flock members. We house and manage them differently. How much room they have in the coop and especially outside and when that room is available can have a big effect. I cannot tell you what will happen because I don't know. I can tell you a few different things that might happen.

At 8 months your pullets should be acting like mature hens. They are probably laying. They have set up the pecking order within their group, they know which pullet is the dominant flock master. You may not know which one is dominant but they do.

If you introduce a mature rooster what often happens is that he marches in full of self-confidence and swagger. He WOW's them with his magnificence just by showing up. He mates a hen or two and the flock is his. It can be about the easiest integration there is. But if he doesn't have that level of self-confidence he does not "wow" them. They don't readily submit. Sometimes the dominant hen is not ready to give up her position to him. Some girls can have very strong personalities, some are pretty easy going. The girls and their personalities have a lot to say about how this goes. It can get violent and vicious so you have to pay attention and be prepared to act if you need to. The worst combination is a weak boy and a strong girl.

If you get a younger cockerel and raise him with the flock, at some point puberty will hit. The hormones can take over and tell him to be the dominant chicken. Boys may fight each other. At that age the mating act is not about fertilizing the eggs, often with pullets the same age there are no eggs. The one on bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, at least temporarily. That acceptance can be willing or by force. At this stage it is usually by force but not always. Usually means a lot of the time. It can get fairly violent. This is when a lot of cockerels literally lose their heads and become dinner. It can be hard to watch. I'm not trying to downplay that part of it.

But different things can happen as they go through this phase. I'm talking about the case with older hens in the flock, usually with some pullets the same age as the cockerel. Or cockerels. Often I see the boys chase the pullets their age to force them to mate and the older flock dominant hen ignores this. But if he tries to mate with an older hen the dominant hen might knock him off or chase him away. No big deal, she's just showed hm she is the boss. Or she might chase him down to beat the crap out of him. She might do that if he tries to mate a younger pullet in her presence. Or he might fight back instead of run away. This phase can actually be pretty peaceful but as someone in here once said watching them go through puberty is often not for the faint of heart.

I believe the more room they have the less likely you are to have a bad outcome. If they can run away and get away the violence is often greatly reduced. If they can stay separated there is less chance of violence to start with. Many behavior problems are intensified if they are squeezed together.

I typically raise about 20 cockerels and 20 pullets with my flock every year until butcher age. With the boys that's 4 to 5 months of age. The way I play with genetics means I practically always keep a new cockerel every year and eat the old rooster when his replacement is about 6 months old. They have over 3,000 square feet available outside so they are not crowded. Most years the cockerel peacefully takes over as flock master by the time he is 7 months old, almost always peacefully. Once I had a 5 month old cockerel do that but that is rare at that age. I had one that could not take over until he was 11 months old. That was a strong dominant hen and a weak spirited boy and was pretty violent. He won but it took two vicious days.

When I typically see it get rough is when the cockerels first hit puberty, usually around 4 months though that can vary. A few of the more dominant fight with each other, most of the boys don't. Some of the boys chase the pullets to force them to mate. There is a dominant rooster in there at this time. If the boys bother the older hens (usually just one or two of the boys) those hens run to the rooster and he scares the boys off, usually with no violence. About once every three or four years it gets rough enough that I separate out about a dozen older cockerels to grow them to butcher age separated from the flock. They may be getting too rough with the pullets or fighting with the dominant rooster. Each year is different, I never know what will happen so I pay attention and base my actions on what I see.

What I do is based on my perceptions of what is acceptable. As long as no one is getting hurt I generally let them work it out. I see a lot of that behavior as them growing up with the flock. But I do have my limits. I've never had a pullet actually injured going through this phase. I did have one cockerel kill another, I misjudged that one and did not take steps in time. Some people have the opinion that any of this behavior is unacceptable, I'd question if they should even have a male of any age. That's just not natural but that is my perception.

A good mature rooster should not bother immature pullets until they are ready to lay eggs. Not all mature roosters are good but a lot are. With an immature cockerel who knows what will happen. With your situation and what I perceive to be your goals, I'd go with one mature rooster and see what happens.

Thank you! The more I'm learning from you guys the best option seems to get a mature strong one now. Are there breeds that are better temperament but still boasts full confidence?
I've read that silkies are good temperament roosters .
Or are there things I should look for in a mature rooster before getting him?

 

[fluffycrow]

I don't know if a silkie is the best option for you right now. Maybe a cochin or Orpington cockerel. My best and most protective rooster right now is my aseel, he is very careful with his girls, but aseel are not for everyone. If you commit to an aseel rooster you won't be able to have other roosters/cockerels in the same coop. Cochin or Orpington is your best bet

 

[Ridgerunner]

What breeds and size are your girls, bantam or full sized?

The only reason I can see that you want a rooster is for the warning call. In that case I suggest you avoid a rooster with strange things around his head that might interfere with his vision.

He is going to mate with his hens. You can't avoid that. So I'd try to match the general size of the hens with the rooster. That's why the question about breed and size.

 

[Aliceismad106]

What breeds and size are your girls, bantam or full sized?

The only reason I can see that you want a rooster is for the warning call. In that case I suggest you avoid a rooster with strange things around his head that might interfere with his vision.

He is going to mate with his hens. You can't avoid that. So I'd try to match the general size of the hens with the rooster. That's why the question about breed and size.

I have all full sized 7 asst colored layers. 2 mystics onyx, and a Sapphire Gem out in the run. The Babies are black copper marans, buff orphingtons and brahma.
I know they will mate and I'll get eggs but it's not My goal until the girls now need to retire. I'm really looking to keep replenishing after the ladies get older and retire at the back of the current pen in the nursing home there so they can live out their life.
I don't want to put any if them in danger if I can help it. There is a lot of information to find everywhere. I want to do the best for my babies.
I'm pretty versed in reptiles and arachnids and belgian malinois.. chickens are hard lol

This was our dream and then I got sick and it looked like it would never happen. The animals have become my therapy and make me have to move and push myself. They really are my babies.
We will have meat birds here in the near future ND they will be sang to and loved like everyone else on the Ranch.
Any and all advice is super appreciated. And I really take it all in amd mull it over in my dumb brain. This group is amazing

 

[Ridgerunner]

Those are dual purpose sized chickens so I'd be OK with any dual purpose sized rooster. There are too many breeds and mixes to choose from for me to recommend any one, you'll have to see what is available. A barnyard mix could work as well as a specific breed.

If you plan on hatching your own later I'd suggest a red or buff rooster. Those are more likely to let the colors of the mother's feathers come through. A black or white rooster tends to impose his colors on the chicks and override the mother's contribution. If you hatch chicks some will be male. What would you do with those? You don't come across as a person that could casually get rid of the boys so it may be something to think about. That's one risk of getting a rooster, he might not work out no matter how careful you are. Could you get rid of him if you needed to for the safety and benefit of your chickens or of yourself?

 

[Aliceismad106]

Those are dual purpose sized chickens so I'd be OK with any dual purpose sized rooster. There are too many breeds and mixes to choose from for me to recommend any one, you'll have to see what is available. A barnyard mix could work as well as a specific breed.

If you plan on hatching your own later I'd suggest a red or buff rooster. Those are more likely to let the colors of the mother's feathers come through. A black or white rooster tends to impose his colors on the chicks and override the mother's contribution. If you hatch chicks some will be male. What would you do with those? You don't come across as a person that could casually get rid of the boys so it may be something to think about. That's one risk of getting a rooster, he might not work out no matter how careful you are. Could you get rid of him if you needed to for the safety and benefit of your chickens or of yourself?

I had to make that decision the other day with one of my ducks. After the alpha boy died, he became aggressive when the female took the lead and he started attacking three of the girls. I separated him. Re introduced, he did it again within am hr. Put him in a separate kennel and that was his life for the last few days. I didn't want him to live like that but as much as it hurt to see him go, it was the best for everyone. He is across town with his own females now.
I know I'll get roosters. I have 3 separate coop runs ranging areas on the property. Each ranging area is 1600 Sq ft. If I have to find them homes then that's what I have to do. To save them or another. My husband is the one who has no issues making one dinner if they are a danger to the Ranch.
I'm not going to be hatching a lot at a time, and if they all end up as roos, well if they get a long, they can have their own bachelor pad. We eat the eggs but even now with only 7 laying, and 2 ducks we have more than we can eat. I give eggs to families in town.
I know I can't save everyone and that human emotions don't need to come in to play. I know they will have to be removed one way or another.
I took on that responsibility the day I got my first snake.
.
I have MS. It was progressing fast. I'm finally doing better and raising animals , all kinds, gives me a purpose again.

In a perfect world I'd have flock of roosters. They are so beautiful and amazing to watch

 

[Ridgerunner]

I understand better. My sister-in-law has MS. It may occasionally slow her down but it hasn't stopped her yet.

Wishing you the best.