Rooster Winter Housing

[SouthernChickyMama]

Hello, chickens friends! As we all know winter is coming and it's only just starting to get chilly in the wee hours of the morning here in South Carolina. It has me trying to figure out how to house my first rooster (Australorp) for these cold days coming. He is essentially a yard rooster due to the fact he is just horribly rough on his brooder sisters(Americana/Easter eggers). Plus he matured so much faster than them and he is so much larger than the ladies I fear he will injure them. Honestly I would just re-home him but I know that could mean certain death for many roosters out there plus my family is attached to him. Also he seems to be shaping up to be quite the rooster i.e. watches over them while they free range, let's the girl know there are tasty bugs or treats, and has shown no signs of human aggression (yet ), so I'd like to give him a full year to see how he does. For now he has been roosting on top of the coop at night or in a near by tree. I was think of buying a prefab hutch for him but I feel that he would need a roost even though I've seen him nest down in the ground before. I'll attach a pic of the hutch I'm thinking about and of my fella. I would love any ideas for his winter housing or what you guys think of the hutch!

 

[WIchickMama]

That house might work with some ventilation added--but yeah no place for him to roost. Wonder if an A frame coop or a two story rabbit hutch would work where you could open up the second level, add a roost and tarp off the sides to block wind

 

[3KillerBs]

If they're free-ranging together OK then it's probably OK to house him with them now.

If the girls are laying then they're mature enough to cope with his attentions.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yes, I was about to say the same as 3KBs, if they're free-ranging together just fine then it's probably fine just to house him with the girls at night as well. He is almost certainly breeding them while they're free-ranging together anyway, unless I'm misunderstanding and they're fenced off somehow?

 

[SouthernChickyMama]

That house might work with some ventilation added--but yeah no place for him to roost. Wonder if an A frame coop or a two story rabbit hutch would work where you could open up the second level, add a roost and tarp off the sides to block wind

Thats good idea!! Thank you!

 

[SouthernChickyMama]

Yes, I was about to say the same as 3KBs, if they're free-ranging together just fine then it's probably fine just to house him with the girls at night as well. He is almost certainly breeding them while they're free-ranging together anyway, unless I'm misunderstanding and they're fenced off somehow?

My ladies aren't laying yet, but he minds his manners most of the time. I've been supervising their free ranging from afar so me being around might be making him behave Thank you, will have to give him a shot in the coop

 

[bobbi-j]

I’d put him in the coop. Unless he’s injuring them, let them work it out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My ladies aren't laying yet, but he minds his manners most of the time.

He is not a rooster, he is an immature cockerel with hormones probably running strong. You do not have hens, you have immature pullets. How old are they? It can sometimes be hard to watch chickens go through puberty but usually it's a lot harder on the person watching than it is for the chickens. Eventually the pullets and the cockerel will mature to the point that they act like mature chickens but until they do it may look bad to you.

Many of us that keep roosters let them grow up in the flock with the girls. I haven't done a poll but I'd think a strong majority of us do that. Some people can't stand to do that, they think it is so horrible for the girls. There is often violence involved so it is possible there could be some injuries. You do have to watch what is going on so you can take action if it is needed but I've never had a pullet injured when they go through this. Some people on here say they have.

I've been supervising their free ranging from afar so me being around might be making him behave

I can't tell by what you wrote what behavior you think is so bad that it warrants isolation. He's probably behaving exactly as he should as an immature cockerel with immature pullets. I can't tell but it sort of sounds like he is extraordinarily well-behaved for a cockerel going through puberty with a bunch of immature pullets. You'd hope for a cockerel to behave like that. Or maybe you are not giving him a chance to do what immature cockerels with immature pullets do naturally.

Our expectations have a lot to do with how we perceive these things. I don't know how you expect them to behave. Once the girls mature into hens and he matures into a rooster they tend to settle down a lot, though he will still mate with them. Sometimes by force. Some people can't stand to watch that so they should not have a rooster with their flock. I don't know where you stand on that.

I just don't know what behaviors you are seeing or what you are so worried about seeing. That's part of why this is so hard to write.

I would love any ideas for his winter housing or what you guys think of the hutch!

In South Carolina he can easily spend the nights outside in your mild winters. Your weather is not a problem. The risk I'd be concerned about is predators.

I don't like that hutch. It is not designed for chickens and ventilation looks horrible. You could put a roost in it but he doesn't really have to roost. As you said, he sometimes sleeps on the ground. It may be hard to train him to put himself to bed in there at dark. If you spend money for something, I'd want it suitable to be used to isolate a hen if you need a hospital. That would mean a nest at least. Not sue how big it is but probably something a bit bigger.

If you let him try sleeping in the coop, let us know how it is going. If you don't like what happens don't hesitate to separate him again. But describe what happens so we can maybe help you get through it. I think you need to base your actions and decisions on what you actually see, not what you think might happen.

 

[3KillerBs]

You do have to watch what is going on so you can take action if it is needed but I've never had a pullet injured when they go through this. Some people on here say they have.

The worst I've had was a bloody comb on my California White.

I suspect that the klutzy young fellow tried to grab the back of her head the way he's supposed to and managed to catch that big comb instead.

A couple weeks and a little Blu-Kote solved the problem.