Re-introducing cockerel--- big question, long post.

[Ruby Rogue]

Long story short:
I finished the new coop about 3 weeks ago, moved the girls in, successfully integrated a new younger (about 10 weeks old) cockerel with the girls. I had 7 roosters left in the old coop until today, when I gave away all the older boys to someone who will humanely eat them for dinner....

... but

I couldn't stand to see Georgie become someone's dinner, so now he's alone in the bachelor coop.

I don't know how to go about this. He can't stay there alone, or at all so he needs to somehow be moved in with the girls, and now the younger, smaller boy. I also don't approve of his teenage mating habits, so I don't want him in there unless he's separated until he grows out of the 'aggressive mating' (only aggressive in his mating, sweet otherwise) stage.

Can I put him in jail until the little dude is big enough to defend himself against the bigger cockerel? Is it going to make him crazy to be stuck in a cage in the coop directly across from where the pullets he used to be allowed to mate with, lay eggs...

Any advice?

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Long story short:
I finished the new coop about 3 weeks ago, moved the girls in, successfully integrated a new younger (about 10 weeks old) cockerel with the girls. I had 7 roosters left in the old coop until today, when I gave away all the older boys to someone who will humanely eat them for dinner....

... but

I couldn't stand to see Georgie become someone's dinner, so now he's alone in the bachelor coop.

I don't know how to go about this. He can't stay there alone, or at all so he needs to somehow be moved in with the girls, and now the younger, smaller boy. I also don't approve of his teenage mating habits, so I don't want him in there unless he's separated until he grows out of the 'aggressive mating' (only aggressive in his mating, sweet otherwise) stage.

Can I put him in jail until the little dude is big enough to defend himself against the bigger cockerel? Is it going to make him crazy to be stuck in a cage in the coop directly across from where the pullets he used to be allowed to mate with, lay eggs...

Any advice?

That's a hard one. How many chickens and roos do you have together and what are their ages?

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

He wasn't aggressive towards anyone or any other chicken, just too rowdy and hormonal... I might try him out, I don't know. I hate to lock him in jail.

You know your birds... But would sticking the younger cockerel in with him in a 2 man bachelor flock work? Then he's not alone and he stays out of the ladies.

 

[Chickenman MAN]

I have 11 pullets, 7 are laying, the rest could start laying any time. They are from 3 separate hatches ranging in age from around 20 weeks and up to about 8 months...they've mostly always lived together.

1 little 10 week old cockerel who has been living with the girls for a couple of weeks with no issues other than the occasional peck from just a couple of the girls.

George, the straggler, used to live with 7 other boys and the 11 girls until over mating caused me to separate them completely. He is about 8 months old and has been separated from the pullets for about 3 weeks...

Ah... I see. I'm no chicken expert so I don't know if the age difference is a hugeeee issue. However, I wouldn't keep him by himself. Even though he is a rooster, like hens, he is sociable and really needs to be around other chickens. Has he been agressive with the hens then when you have put him in?

 

[Chickenman MAN]

He wasn't aggressive towards anyone or any other chicken, just too rowdy and hormonal... I might try him out, I don't know. I hate to lock him in jail.

If he wasn't agressive I wouldn't say its an issue. What do you mean by rowdy and hormonal?

 

[Chickenman MAN]

You know your birds... But would sticking the younger cockerel in with him in a 2 man bachelor flock work? Then he's not alone and he stays out of the ladies.

I like this idea! Then just wait until he is out of that 'stage' and reintroduce him and the other roo

 

[Chickenman MAN]

The 'old coop' is really just a summer coop for the Cornish x... so they can't live there anymore. Maybe I'll try bringing little dude up to see him so they can get used to each other. It's gotta work somehow....and if it doesn't, well...

I'd seperate the roos together or just chuck the young one in if he isn't being aggressive

 

[Ruby Rogue]

So I can put little dude in the old bachelor coop with big George for a few days, or put George in chicken jail in the full flock coop, or just put George in the full flock coop and hope for the best.

I'll do some thinking.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I'd just move the older cockerel into the flock with everyone. The 10 week old is young enough that the older male shouldn't see him as a threat at all. I just added a seven month old cockerel back into a breeding pen with his father and they didn't even bat an eye at each other. Granted they are English Orpingtons, so they are a little more laid back than most breeds, but still.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Thanks for the advice.

Why the reaction for that last post @Chickenman MAN?

I don't know... his mating practices were the only reason he didn't get put in there 3 weeks ago in the first place, so I'll have to just watch him or keep him separated somehow because I doubt he has calmed down any being without a hen for 3 weeks. He mates them without consent, has tried to breed with 12 week old pullets half his size...just what I assume is young hormonal cockerel behavior.