Re-homed our cockerel yesterday :(

[Katejc]

I’m not cut out for the livestock lifestyle! We re-homed our 4 month old guy yesterday at a friends farm. She tossed him right in her coop with about 25 other birds (including a bunch of ducks). He got surrounded pretty fast and pecked pretty good. He was a bleeding a bit when we left. He is a big guy and easily the biggest chicken in there by far and can definitely hold his own but he is also a big baby. I know this is chickens and the way it goes and chances are pecking order will be established fairly quickly but I still feel so bad for him. He was getting mean and couldn’t be in with our tiny silkies anymore and we had nowhere else to keep him. Tell me I did the right thing! He’s on a farm with pigs and cattle and coops the size of my bedroom.

 

[Katejc]

Will the fact that he is younger and bigger play a part in his integration into the flock? He doesn't have spurs to defend himself. He kind of wandered off on his own and they let him be after about 5 minutes. Could that have been the worst of it or will it go on for a few days?

 

[rocking chickens]

He will be fine. Was he the only cockerel or rooster or was their others. Integration is like throwing a wild ball into the flock so for the next few days they will size him up and determine his place in the pecking order and then they will settle into a steady calm life. You did the right thing and he has a home now.

 

[Hidrainja4]

Not the best way to do things . Your friend should of isolated him so that he would not bring new diseases to her flock. I would have also taken a more gradual introduction. It is done . and the alternative would have been what? Auction? Eat him? Being picked on for a couple of days doesn't seem so bad now does it.

 

[Katejc]

He will be fine. Was he the only cockerel or rooster or was their others. Integration is like throwing a wild ball into the flock so for the next few days they will size him up and determine his place in the pecking order and then they will settle into a steady calm life. You did the right thing and he has a home now.

Thank you there were other roosters but he was the biggest by quite a bit and he still has a lot of growing to do.

 

[Katejc]

Not the best way to do things . Your friend should of isolated him so that he would not bring new diseases to her flock. I would have also taken a more gradual introduction. It is done . and the alternative would have been what? Auction? Eat him? Being picked on for a couple of days doesn't seem so bad now does it.

She’s an old school farmer type. She said she didn’t have the time unfortunately so this was the next best option. You’re right that given the perspective he is doing better then most aggressive roosters do! Thanks

 

[chrissynemetz]

How much room do the chickens have? If he has plenty of room to get away from the others while he's figuring out his spot he should be ok. It's not the ideal way to introduce him, but he should be fine.

 

[Katejc]

How much room do the chickens have? If he has plenty of room to get away from the others while he's figuring out his spot he should be ok. It's not the ideal way to introduce him, but he should be fine.

Tons of room! He is a good flyer too and she has some pretty high roosts inside so I’m hoping he will use that to his advantage.

 

[aart]

She’s an old school farmer type. She said she didn’t have the time unfortunately so this was the next best option. You’re right that given the perspective he is doing better then most aggressive roosters do! Thanks

Tons of room! He is a good flyer too and she has some pretty high roosts inside so I’m hoping he will use that to his advantage.

He'll be fine. Out of your hands anyway.

 

[Katejc]

Sad update, our guy didn’t make it. I went to see him about a week after we re-homed him and he didn’t look good. His head was sunken right into his body and he was standing away from the flock and couldn’t keep his eyes open. They got fed while I was visiting and he did go over to eat so I figured it wasn’t serious. I heard last night that they had to bring him inside and he was doing much better, but he died this morning. I just don’t know why? Why he turned so fast? He was healthy with us?