As it turns out, I may have a RIR rooster in my most recent batch of chicks, and I think I'd better start debating what I'm going to do with him, if it is indeed a 'him'. I've never had a rooster before. These are the main things I'm concerned about: As long as there are no other roos in this batch, then he will have eight hens to take care of. Too many? Too few? I already have an older EE alpha hen with a feisty attitude who's in charge of my older flock. When he is grown, will there be a lot of fighting going on between them for dominance? Is there a time by which you can know what the rooster's temperament will be? I know there are many other things I'm definitely missing here. Any advice is much appreciated!
Hens and roosters keep their own pecking orders. While a dominant hen might pick on subdominant males, I doubt your EE will stand up to the only roo around. Especially one that will outweigh her by 4 lbs. and comes from a breed whose roosters are no pushovers. He should be big enough to eat at 9-12 weeks, and you should have a very good idea if you will want to keep him by then.
Some years ago, I introduced a young roo to a flock of older hens. It wasn't really my idea, a neighbor was trying to be "nice" . At first, he was one seriously hen-pecked rooster. Then he began to work his way up thru the pecking order, one hen at a time. By this time, I was tired of all the violence . He went back where he came from and I haven't bothered with that since. Steve
I won't have to really worry about his behavior for a few months? That's a relief. I suppose I should add that I also have one hen who's really small, maybe around three to four pounds. She isn't a bantam, but she's right smack in the middle between the size of a standard and a bantam, it seems. Will a RIR rooster end up hurting her? I'm hoping he'll take a liking to the hens he's being raised with, instead.
Quote:My smallest hen was terrified of my rooster at first. She used to run screaming, looking for me if he so much as looked at her. Then he finally caught her and mated her and all is well. She's his favorite hen now and she adores him. She follows him around preening his feathers all day and sleeps next to him every night.