Rooster and two and a half month old chicks/pullets

[bburn]

Maybe this goes someplace else....move it if it needs to be moved.

I have a year and two month old BO rooster in the big flock. Because of a racoon attack we moved 15 two month old chicks into the main flock and it went well. So far, up to now, the rooster has been great. The young ones have intergrated into the flock well.

Tonight when putting the chickens up my SIL saw the rooster trying to breed one of the young ones. I did not think he would try until they were at POL? Am I wrong?

There are places in the coop for the younger ones to get away from the older ones. The rooster has been great with the little ones so far. He protects the little ones from the older hens. He finds them treats. So far we thought we were lucky. I am just concerned about this as they are not full size yet. Heck, not worried about them getting pregnant! LOL>.......just did not think there would be any breeding until they were ready.

 

[teach1rusl]

I always thought that too. But then some folks talk about having roosters that will try to mate anything that moves (and sometimes anything that doesn't move - like shoes and stuffed animals). My little ones are 18/19 weeks, and my rooster (in my big girl flock) is just starting to "notice" them, although I haven't seen him attempt mating yet. I guess it would depend on size/weight difference and how gentle he is when he's on top of them as to how much I would worry. I would probably separate them if it continues, because I'm a worrier.

 

[bburn]

Quote:
Being a worrier is why I am here.

Just went out to the coop. Have been released finally to walk in a boot thing on my foot. My SIL showed me the juvie she was talking about....I think it is a rooster really....so maybe he was showing dominance?

 

[Tomhusker]

My Blue JG roo tried to make it with one of my 2 month old turkey poults the first day I put them out. The turkey was none too pleased.

 

[bburn]

Quote:
That's funny. Not funny for the poult however!

 

[teach1rusl]

I agree that if the "pullet" is a cockerel, then the big guy may have been trying to show him who's boss...

 

[bburn]

Quote:
My DH was out of state last year for the 'coming of age' of the roosters we got in a straight run batch of chicks. I was. I know how bad it is going to get but he is fighting it every step of the way. I guess he is just going to have to see. These are our own hatched chicks growing up now. I say rehome, sell or grow out and go to freezer camp. But he is quite stubborn. It is going to take him finding a bloody dead chicken or having to break up a fight for him to understand.

My plan was to grow them out. I have the separate pens to put them in....rabbit hutches with ten sections. I already have some known roosters up there that we put in there while he was still out of town this year. We snuck two more up there yesterday that he has not noticed. We did it after we snatched two more hens out of the tractor with the boys and put them in the new coop and run and pulled out two roosters from there. We THOUGHT we would put them in the tractor and get away with it. The roosters thought better and started beating up on the two new ones. THOSE we moved to the rabbit hutches.

All this to say I think you are right also.....the big guy showing the little guy who's boss. After all when maturity hit he did the same thing to two of his flock mates....one BR roo and one Cochin roo.

DH believes they are 'just chickens' throw them all in there together!

 

[Tomhusker]

Quote:
That's funny. Not funny for the poult however!

Yeah, I didn't see a smile on his face......