Roosters and chicks

[jmprnfl]

I have about 50 baby chicks about 2 weeks old. I have an extra rooster that has been kept by himself and would like to add him to this flock. Can I do this or is this not advisable?

 

[Twistedfeather]

I would not mix a rooster in with two week olds for several reasons. He could trample or attack them depending on how aggressive he is. There's no reason to add him into the flock when they are feathered out but not until then. If you're worried about a lonely rooster than until those chicks are old enough than you can socialize with him yourself, hold him a lot and talk to him or you could get him a female and just add those two to the flock with them later.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have about 50 baby chicks about 2 weeks old. I have an extra rooster that has been kept by himself and would like to add him to this flock. Can I do this or is this not advisable?

You will want/need to wait until your chicks are much older before you try to integrate the rooster into their mix. How old is the rooster? Are your chicks all pullets? Do you have other birds, or just the chicks and rooster?

 

[jmprnfl]

We have other chickens that are separated into hens and roosters. this was just an extra rooster that we were thinking of putting in with the chicks for protection against predators. My daughter carries this 1 year old rooster around with her.

 

[Twistedfeather]

I was doing some research on another thread for someone about Marek's and read that the disease is so common that many adult birds carry a dormant form of it. As a chick the first month of life is when they are most vulnerable and putting a full grown chicken in there can expose them to this disease.

 

[jmprnfl]

The weather has been so variable here that we have kept the chicks in the house until they are 1-2 weeks old depending on the weather currently. Then they go into a room attached to our barn that they have free run of. Our 1 month olds have been integrated into our permanent pens. The older chickens have taken them in like they are old family. we watched them for the full day to ensure no fighting. Thankfully our pens are overly large so there is no overcrowding. We designed our pens to be as close to free range as possible but every time we try to actually free range we end up with a bobcat in our yard that wipes us out.