Rooster and New Pullets, Whats too rough

[WendyHTN]

Early this year I got 5 new chicks, all have turned out to be pullets thankfully. They are now 10 weeks old. I've been doing slow introductions with the pullets safely in a space where they can see and safely interact with my existing flock. I've been doing things like communal scratching.

Yesterday I split up the feeding stations and let my current flock free range, put the new pullets in a safe house in the run for them to started out in and find their way out, which they did. They also found the food and water.

This has worked well, the 9 hens are having no issues with the pullets although they aren't hanging out as a single flock just yet. For bedtime I snuck the new ones in after dark when everyone was sleeping.

Here is the question ... my normally very good and sweet rooster is pecking the new pullets, that in its self doesn't worry me, but he's chasing them off and when he pecks he's pulling out feathers. Anything I can do to help this?

PS for the first time ever he came at me today and is now in time out separated after having been held and carried around.

 

[janiedoe]

Roosters get stressed by new flock members, as well as hens do. Chasing them away is normal, but I don't know how I feel about the feather pulling.
I also am concerned that he came after you.
What was happening when he became aggressive towards you?
How old is he?

 

[janiedoe]

@Shadrach could you lend your expertise?

 

[Shadrach]

Rooster views.
They aren't my progeny.
If they won't squat for me I get pissy.
If they are not laying eggs why would I want to feed them.

It all changes when they are laying and squatting for him.

 

[WendyHTN]

Roosters get stressed by new flock members, as well as hens do. Chasing them away is normal, but I don't know how I feel about the feather pulling.
I also am concerned that he came after you.
What was happening when he became aggressive towards you?
How old is he?

A year and I was getting scratch.

 

[WendyHTN]

Rooster views.
They aren't my progeny.
If they won't squat for me I get pissy.
If they are not laying eggs why would I want to feed them.

It all changes when they are laying and squatting for him.

Is there anything else I can do to help? Should I just pull the babies out for a few more weeks? Or perhaps isolate the rooster for a week?

 

[Shadrach]

There are a series of events with hens sitting and hatching that make intergration into a tribe almost trouble free when the hen has sat on and hatched eggs fetilized by her rooster.
This is the first event when the rooster meets the chicks.
This is the hens rooster imprinting their chicks.

Once the rooster has imprinted the chicks that's the chicks accepted by the rooster.
The next stage is the mother introduces the chicks to other tribes and takes them on a tour of the main cover spots, food and water stations and the boundries of her tribes territory.
At some point she will take them back to her tribes coop and as long as mum does this in general everyone in the coop accepts that these are new tribe members.
The mother stops caring for the chicks and they immediately drop to the bottom of the heirachy. This can be a bit rough. Get out of line and they get pecked by the other hens; rarely does the rooster get involved in this part.
The now pullets compete for their place in the heirachy within the pullet group.
When the pullets sart to lay eggs they become the roosters pullets/hens.

 

[Shadrach]

Is there anything else I can do to help? Should I just pull the babies out for a few more weeks? Or perhaps isolate the rooster for a week?

I'm sorry to write that I have zero experience or even want any of trying to introduce pullets/chicks into a existing group. I learned this wasn't the way to increase the group size many years ago and so far that knowledge has held true.

 

[janiedoe]

A year and I was getting scratch.

When you say he scratched you, was it intentional? Did he come after you?
It's possible that he just got caught up in the heat of the moment.

If he isn't doing real harm to the new pullets, I'd try again tomorrow. If he is harming them, I'd be inclined to house him separately, but where he can see and talk to his girls, until they are at the point of lay. He will love them then.

I have to agree with @Shadrach it is much easier when chicks are raised as part of the flock.
When that isn't an option, I sub as a broody. I raise them inside a brooder in the run, and when I let them out, off and on while they are still very young. I peck any mean chickens on the head. I repeat this until the rest of the flock knows they are my chicks.

 

[WendyHTN]

There are a series of events with hens sitting and hatching that make intergration into a tribe almost trouble free when the hen has sat on and hatched eggs fetilized by her rooster.
This is the first event when the rooster meets the chicks.
This is the hens rooster imprinting their chicks.

Once the rooster has imprinted the chicks that's the chicks accepted by the rooster.
The next stage is the mother introduces the chicks to other tribes and takes them on a tour of the main cover spots, food and water stations and the boundries of her tribes territory.
At some point she will take them back to her tribes coop and as long as mum does this in general everyone in the coop accepts that these are new tribe members.
The mother stops caring for the chicks and they immediately drop to the bottom of the heirachy. This can be a bit rough. Get out of line and they get pecked by the other hens; rarely does the rooster get involved in this part.
The now pullets compete for their place in the heirachy within the pullet group.
When the pullets sart to lay eggs they become the roosters pullets/hens.

I wish these had been hatched by one of my hens, but they were gifted to me in February so they have been in the garage until a few weeks ago when I started introductions with the flock free ranging and the new pullets in a safe cage.