Rooster with 8 weekers?

We put my granddaughters year old Polish rooster with our 4 week old BO's. He has been just fine with them but every now and then gets a little rough when he reprimands them for coming to the feeder the same time as him. He's always been a very docile rooster though.
 
I also curious about an answer to this. We have an adult roo-I don't know how old he is as he was given to me by a lady who had someone drop off a few roos with her so there is no information on him.

My chicks aren't yet old enough to go out into the coop. Would it be best to keep him in a pen alone until I have the chicks established in the coop before letting him in? Would he be territorial to them if I put him in first and then introduce the chicks?

Any information would be VERY appreciated.
 
I have no problem with combining 8-week old chicks with an adult rooster. Minimal pecking can expected initially as myhubbycallsmechickeemama relates but advantages can be realized where rooster provides leadership in respect to roosting location amoung other things.

Under natural conditions with red jungle fowl, that is how new family groups / harems are formed. A rooster without a harem begins associating and roosting with juveniles from other groups that have either been dispersed by predator or like or have been driven out by adults.

I am trying to see if that normal social rearrangment can be used as a management tool for free range flocks on my little patch.

Generally speaking, adult roosters are much more accomodating than hens when it comes to juveniles.
 
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Thank you!!! That's a comfort knowing that I can just stick them all in the pen together. I will put the roo in first and then wait until my chicks are old enough to be out in the coop.
 
Quote:
X 2 Temperment can vary greatly from rooster to rooster. Some will be fine with this arrangement, some will peck at and injure the chicks, and some may try to breed and injure the chicks.
 
I wouldn't recommend it. I wait until they are about twenty weeks before putting pullets in with adults. Otherwise they may not be able to defend themselves.
 

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