should I buy the roo?

[ziggywiggy1]

My local feed store has a lone jubilee cockerel for sale and now I’m trying to convince myself I don’t need to go back and get him tomorrow. I currently have 3 silver laced Wyandotte hens (2 months old) that are about 1 month older than him. Are they likely to beat him up at this age? I’m considering getting a small dog crate to keep him in until he’s big enough to go with the ladies, setting him next to the coop during the day and putting the crate in the coop run at night. It’s warm enough right now that he wont need a lamp. Is three too few ladies? When they get bigger will he harass them to death or will they put him in his place? Are Orpington Roos overly aggressive or do they tend to be more docile?

or am I just crazy and will this end in disaster?

 

[arishoks]

I wouldn't keep just 3 hens with a rooster. I believe the "correct ratio" is 9 to 1 at least but I personally wouldn't keep any less than 5 hens with one roo. My boy had 5 girls at first, but he now has 9 and they all get along fantastic. If you can't get any more hens you might not want to get the roo!

 

[ziggywiggy1]

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I’m not in a position for a larger coop yet, and I don’t want to make the ladies unhappy. He just looked sad all on his lonesome I really wonder why they didn’t just put him with a few other buddies, they had other cages with multiple breeds.