Starwise
Chirping
When we ordered our second batch of chicks, there was no plan to add a rooster. But one of the chicks turned out to be a roo. Our Sicilian Buttercup, Cici, got a name change to Mr Roo Buttercup.
Growing up he was always there to check what's on your hand and wanted to be picked out of the brooder. He loved to be held. If you didn't, he would jump to the 2' edge of the brooder and came to check on you. But my wife wasn't warming up to the idea of having a rooster. But I liked the little guy and his affectionate personality.
Integrating the pullets with the older hens went without much of a trouble. Fenced in the coop separately, see but no touch for couple weeks. After that there was some pecking but no fights when I took fencing out. Mr Roo avoided the older girls as the other pullets did and he has not shown any aggressive behavior. What I'm reading from others rooster experiences here, I guess I got lucky so far.
What's changed about him is his behavior as months went by. He is not as friendly and eager to be picked up anymore. When he is roosting with the girls I can still reach out and pet him and pick him up but he doesn't let that happen from the ground. Now at 5 months old, he has mounted couple of the pullets that I've noticed so far. And wife said the other day he was running after one of them in the run for a while. But nothing aggressive. And he still gives room to the older hens and does not contest their authority in the coop.
My questions are, what should I expect of him from now on? I don't want to separate him from the rest. Is there concern of him try mating with the pullets as they are soon coming to start laying their first eggs? At what age might he try to challenge the older hens?
Growing up he was always there to check what's on your hand and wanted to be picked out of the brooder. He loved to be held. If you didn't, he would jump to the 2' edge of the brooder and came to check on you. But my wife wasn't warming up to the idea of having a rooster. But I liked the little guy and his affectionate personality.
Integrating the pullets with the older hens went without much of a trouble. Fenced in the coop separately, see but no touch for couple weeks. After that there was some pecking but no fights when I took fencing out. Mr Roo avoided the older girls as the other pullets did and he has not shown any aggressive behavior. What I'm reading from others rooster experiences here, I guess I got lucky so far.
What's changed about him is his behavior as months went by. He is not as friendly and eager to be picked up anymore. When he is roosting with the girls I can still reach out and pet him and pick him up but he doesn't let that happen from the ground. Now at 5 months old, he has mounted couple of the pullets that I've noticed so far. And wife said the other day he was running after one of them in the run for a while. But nothing aggressive. And he still gives room to the older hens and does not contest their authority in the coop.
My questions are, what should I expect of him from now on? I don't want to separate him from the rest. Is there concern of him try mating with the pullets as they are soon coming to start laying their first eggs? At what age might he try to challenge the older hens?