Rooster with Chicks?????

[Nizzletripe]

I am new to chicken raising. I have a 5 month old New Hampshire Red rooster and have recently become the new owner of 8 Dominique hens. The hens are about two weeks old. How old should they be before I introduce them to my rooster?

 

[crazyhen]

He can really hurt the chicks right now. I would wait till they are 16 to 18 weeks old. Gloria Jean

 

[k2chickens]

yea, not right now plz...lol

 

[Bedste]

I disagree... and that is ok.... I would wait until they are 4 weeks old and I would put them in a cage in the center of the chicken yard where roo can walk around them and look at them for atleast a week. After that time if the Roo is ignoring them..... I would let them out at night and put them in the same roost with him. I would make sure ahead of time that you have places in the yard for them to run and hide ... but he wont be interested in them because they are too young to lay..... and there is safetly in numbers. He is just now coming "of age" and these pullets are so young. It would help if you had an older pullet already in with him, but I think they will merge just fine.

That is what I love about BYC.... you gleen from all the advice and do the best you can.

 

[Nizzletripe]

Thank you for your advice. I wasn't planning on introducing them yet. I'm a new chicken owner and I am reading and learning as I go. I wanted an idea about how old they should be. Thanks again.

 

[phoenix rooster]

introduce them slowly over time, i have a coop built inside a coop, i put the newbies in the coop and let them get use to the older hens and roos. after a week i open the door and they learn to get along, plus the little chicks run faster than the chubby adults. sometimes i make the coop door opening just large enough for the small birds to retreat to when they get picked on.

 

[charliesgrace]

Thanks for this post, I have a teenage (brown leghorn) rooster raising a failure to thrive cochin chick that is still only as big as a coke can, and not even half feathered at 8 weeks old. I am trying to figure out how to introduce them to the other chickens, I like the idea of a cage in the coop. But the baby can't go outside yet as it is wayyy to cold. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

[richerjo]

I am bringing home an adopted roo (Americanas) this afternoon and have 19 girls graduating from the brooder this week intended for a new coop / run in the back yard. Your suggestion to segregate within the run is a great idea!!!! I appreciate the sage council.

 

[centrarchid]

I am new to chicken raising. I have a 5 month old New Hampshire Red rooster and have recently become the new owner of 8 Dominique hens. The hens are about two weeks old. How old should they be before I introduce them to my rooster?

A 5-month old rooster is immature and has potential to be hard on younger birds not of his grouping / family unit. Two week old females are more correctly referred to as pullets. Distinction very important especially involving interactions with adults. I can get a full adult rooster (> 8 months old) that is not in moult to accept chicks / juveniles with minimal difficulty. Younger roosters are more difficult. To ease introduction, make so all birds on unfamiliar ground and possibly for much of day. Also introducing at night with lights off helps. Temperament of roosters also varies so saying will or will not work is unfounded.