ROOSTER INTRODUCTION - ADVICE PLEASE

[Girl43]

Hi everyone. Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Autumn.

First a little background:

-I have a mid sized coop approximately 15x10 feet inside and the birds free-range on my five acres throughout the day, summer and winter.
-I have one flock master,who is a mild Golden Polish, two 6 month old BCMs who have been brought up together and do a bit of sparring, six hens.
-I bought a trio of mottled houdans yesterday and am getting ten generic brown layers tomorrow.

My question is how do I introduce the Houdan rooster without conflict. He is also mild mannered from what his last owner told me. Oh, also, I have a americuana rooster who is troubled constantly by the two BCMs. These three were brought up together but it doesn't keep them from chasing the Americuana around continually. I'm in the process of trying to rehome the Americuana but you know how that can be in the Autumn.

With this flock dynamic, will I be safe in introducing the MHs? I really want to work on the BCM and Houdan lines so I don't want any bloodshed and minimal fuss....just stress free living.

With a total of 18 hens, will there be enough to keep the boys calm or am I asking for it? I really want to keep the Golden Polish. He is a very good rooster, doesn't fight, good look out and an excellent provider I know I could probably house them in different spots but for convenience, I'd like them together and where they'll be out and about everyday, I just don't see the point.

Please, if you have a similar situation, let me know how it is working out and if you have any constructive advice, I would love to hear from you! Thanks for reading.

 

[donrae]

Unfortunately, there's not answer here except try it and see.

Roosters can be pretty unpredictable in how they respond to another male. I've had four roosters with around 16 hens, and everyone did just fine, I think because I was free ranging at the time. Plus, roosters were raised together. Recently, I had 4 roosters and 2dozen hens, and was starting to get bare backs from overmating. Still no rooster issues, they had their own order and all was fine. Some of your breeds are known for being pretty mellow, some not so much. I'd put the MH and his ladies where the others can see them but not be with them--separated by wire, etc--and leave things that way for a while and see how it goes. You'll just have to keep an eye on your flock and see how your particular birds are doing with each other, and be ready to pull roosters out if things get life-threatening, or hens get stressed.

You are planning on quarantining all these new birds, aren't you?

 

[Girl43]

Yes they are quarantined as we speak. I do have them where they can see each other. My GP is in there on the other side of the fence and the MH is more feisty than him but perhaps because he has his two ladies to protect. I'll leave things as they are until I can accurately read the situation. I think it should work out where they have so much space (fingers x). Thanks for replying!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Let me get this straight; you got 1 Polish, 2 BCM, 1 Houdan, and 1 Americuna roosters, all from different orgins & breeds and you you want them to all get along together with 18 hens from different breeds & backgrounds? Man that's bad! But they're gonna free range on 5 acres, that's good. But you want them to all roost together in a small coop, that's bad.

You said *I really want to work on the BCM and Houdan lines.* Well that won't work with the Polish & Americuna hanging around breeding the hens.

You answered your own ? when you said *I really want to keep the Golden Polish.*
Next step is boot the BCM & Americuna roosters and intro the Houdans like donrae said in post #2.

 

[Girl43]

Well, I kind of want to chide you for that reply. I like my chickens quite a bit and I don't think "giving them the boot" or whatever is the way to do things. That's a quick solve solution and I'm not ready for it yet. Yes, I do want to work on some lines but obviously not throughout a Nova Scotian winter. In the spring I'll separate and work. Until then I'd like peace and harmony....maybe, maybe not I guess. I wasn't looking for that kind of solution but respect your opinion.

 

[enola]

If you birds are quarantined how can they see each other?

 

[Girl43]

It's comments like this that make me happy that I'm not addicted to this site. I've had chickens and turkey and ducks and the like for EVER and I think I know what I am doing. I have never thrown in a new bird with an established flock. The rooster situation IS new to me but not managing chickens. Concentrate on the main question not this nit picking foolishness.

 

[Pooman]

It's not just this site, it's the internet. Sitting behind your keyboard is like no other. But i do think they were just giving an honest opinion. I'm interested in this so I hope the discussion continues.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: You ASKED for advice

You were GIVEN advice

There are no rules that say you have to LIKE the advice, but you shouldn't complain when you got exactly what you asked for.

Quote:

 

[Girl43]

ridiculous