Rehomed rooster to bachelor flock, it’s been weeks and he is still hiding and not accustomed to it.

[Reijn]

I rehomed a Brahma rooster a weeks weeks ago to a lady who had a bachelor flock. My rooster was rejected from my flock with 2 other roosters, kept getting beat up and just hiding behind the house. So she took him.

She had him separated for a few days about a week, he was acting shy and scared, then she put him with the rest of the flock. She says he has just been hiding and won’t come to eat and drink unless she gets him. He just stays in the coop.

She even brought him in her home for a few nights for tlc to make sure he was eating and drinking but that’s not a good long term solution.

I feel bad for her. She’s trying so hard to get him to integrate but it’s Been maybe 3 weeks now and there’s no sign of him getting used to this. I can tell she is frustrated now, I would be too, so I am trying to figure out some things she can try to do for a rooster who is just exceptionally scared and shy.

Any tips? I’m at a loss.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It will take a long time for a new rooster to be accepted into an established flock. How old are all these roosters? It can take months for a new rooster to become one of the group and sometimes it never works out.

 

[Reijn]

It will take a long time for a new rooster to be accepted into an established flock. How old are all these roosters? It can take months for a new rooster to become one of the group and sometimes it never works out.

I’m not sure how old all of them are, im assuming some are pretty old, she has like 15 of them there and a couple of turkeys. My boy she took is about 16 months.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I’m not sure how old all of them are, im assuming some are pretty old, she has like 15 of them there and a couple of turkeys. My boy she took is about 16 months.

That's a tricky mix. Your rooster was mature. He's hiding to avoid being attacked or challenged would be my guess. Keeping all males together isn't always as easy as putting them together. I've had them try to kill each other. Not much you can do. He will eventually become part of the flock or will not.

 

[Reijn]

That's a tricky mix. Your rooster was mature. He's hiding to avoid being attacked or challenged would be my guess. Keeping all males together isn't always as easy as putting them together. I've had them try to kill each other. Not much you can do. He will eventually become part of the flock or will not.

She was telling me he’s been the hardest rooster she’s ever taken to get acclimated to the flock, do you think this means he won’t accept it or just take more time?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She was telling me he’s been the hardest rooster she’s ever taken to get acclimated to the flock, do you think this means he won’t accept it or just take more time?

I can't say. If no one is fighting with him or bullying him he will eventually accept it.

This time of year rooster hormones are still surging as well. After the summer solstice the decreasing daylight will start to lessen those hormones. I always waited until late fall or early winter before trying to add a new rooster to a flock with an existing rooster. I have never kept more than a couple of roosters together under confinement. Hopefully someone who keeps a larger bachelor group can help out.

 

[Reijn]

I can't say. If no one is fighting with him or bullying him he will eventually accept it.

This time of year rooster hormones are still surging as well. After the summer solstice the decreasing daylight will start to lessen those hormones. I always waited until late fall or early winter before trying to add a new rooster to a flock with an existing rooster. I have never kept more than a couple of roosters together under confinement. Hopefully someone who keeps a larger bachelor group can help out.

Thank you- I wasn’t sure if there was a more appropriate place to post this for people who have bachelor flocks, or maybe if bachelor flocks are just incredibly rare I would love to have one someday when I have the space for it, at least so I didn’t have to keep up the song and dance with the yearly rooster rehoming.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you- I wasn’t sure if there was a more appropriate place to post this for people who have bachelor flocks, or maybe if bachelor flocks are just incredibly rare I would love to have one someday when I have the space for it, at least so I didn’t have to keep up the song and dance with the yearly rooster rehoming.

Our extras go in the freezer. I tried the rooster flock and didn't get past a few birds before the fighting was too much. Some people have made it work, it just didn't work for us.

 

[Iluveggers]

@RoostersAreAwesome

 

[Reijn]

Our extras go in the freezer. I tried the rooster flock and didn't get past a few birds before the fighting was too much. Some people have made it work, it just didn't work for us.

I do that for some of the low quality Roos, I have a couple left that aren’t rehomeable and aren’t keepable so they’re destined to the freezer, but my Brahma was a good boy. We are trying to find someone with a flock of hens now who will take him, but it’s rough. If all else fails i will tell her to butcher him but I’m not sure she’s capable of doing that if she has a bachelor flock.