Reducing the stress when rehoming a rooster?

bhawk-23

Crowing
Premium Feather Member
Apr 12, 2020
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East Central Illinois
I have decided to re-home my wonderful rooster due to my own issues, NOT his! He is going a flock of 22 which includes 20 hens and pullets of all ages and 2 bantam roosters. I want to reduce as much stress as possible for him. He is very bonded to one of his hatch mates and they sleep together in the coop. Would moving them together be good? Will she be lost without him? He is definitely her safety in our flock. But I don't want to re-home her if he will not protect her from the resident flock. It was just an idea but I really have no clue about re-homing nor integrating into flocks. Thanks!
 
She requested I drop him off in the evening just after roosting time to sneak in the coop.
This is how she has always integrated chickens. And she has accepted MANY over the last 20 years that I've known her so I'm assuming this is what she prefers.
 
I would not send a hen with that type of integration unless you don't want to keep her. The rooster will be glad to see all the ladies, but the hen would need to fight for her place in the flock.

That answers my exact question and confirms my worst fear. We do not want to lose her, I was just wondering if it would be less stressful for them to stay together.
Thank you, I am still learning how all this works.
 
Oh good! Rehoming Oscar is already heartbreaking but to think he would struggle really raises the anxiety/guilt I already have over it. I'm guessing though that rehoming a rooster with that many pullets/hens and only 2 bantam roosters to deal with might be easier on him than sending a hen into a new flock?

This is really helping to calm my fears!
 
I want to reduce as much stress as possible for him.
Not your problem. That is up to the experienced people taking him to manage. Experienced people you appear to trust.

Will she be lost without him? He is definitely her safety in our flock.
This is your issue. I have no idea what your flock make-up is, what your facilities look like, or how your flock's dynamics work. My suggestion here is to observe and base any actions (such as isolation if necessary) on what you see.

I agree, she will almost certainly be better off with her current flock than going through an integration with a new one. "He is definitely her safety" is troubling. I have no idea what that means. Probably your over-active imagination but I just don't know if there is any real risk. You are looking at them, I'm not.

I don't think the rooster or hen's stress is what needs to be managed. Chickens don't like change but they are prey animals. In the wild some get eaten. They may be upset a while when one disappears but they quickly get over it or they will be eaten. They can manage if given a bit of time. It's your stress that is the issue and you've made your decision. I trust it is the right one.
 
Our flock is very peaceful. By "her safety" I mean these two have stuck together since mama hen weaned them. We have no overt bullying, just normal running off from the good scratching spot or dust bath if the older ones decide they want them. All are happy, social and eating/drinking well. Keeping the pullet is preferred. She fits in well with our flock. I cannot see that changing.

Like I said, this is very new and upsetting to me to have to re-home and I am only thinking about the least amount of stress for Oscar. It's my first time and I appreciate the wisdom and experience I get here. I am totally putting my fears into it, nothing more I'm sure. And, after hearing the answers given I am feeling more confident.

Yes, I trust my friend. She has had chickens longer than I've been alive and that includes many roosters.
 
I agree, keep the pullet, let the rooster go. Adding a pullet to a large flock would be very hard on her, much harder than staying in a flock that she already knows and is accepted. She may act a bit out of sorts for a couple of days, but it is highly possible that she won't even show that.

Mrs K
 

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