Should I reintroduce my Cockerel or not?

[Lutman_Chick]

Hi,

I moved a Cockerel from my main run due to an injury and i thought he might of been challenged by my youngsters, he's a bantam and they are standards. I put him out on some grass today and all his did was pace up and down, i assume to get back to his girls.. i did try to keep them at a distance so he couldn't see them.
My query is.. I don't know if i should put him back with is original flock or shall i give him a couple of his girls - i did want to do this in the Spring but his injury kind of forced my hand!
Help! am i being daft?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I think you should have a seperate bantam flock.

 

[Lutman_Chick]

I do (well kind of, they are Sablepoots and Pekins), but they have a Cockerel too, I was going to create an old biddies pen for him and some of the old girls that don't lay much anymore in the spring, but feel this incident has forced my hand. So you don't think i should put him back?

 

[Mrs. K]

I would bet more on age than size for dominance, and I have heard that bantams can be quite a dominant rooster. You can put him back in there and see what happens. As he was pacing, was anyone as in another rooster paying any attention to him? If not, I would think you would be good to go.

Generally, I don't separate birds. To me it causes more problems than it is worth. However, I have never had an injury to a bird, but I don't think I would then either.

Mrs K

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I do (well kind of, they are Sablepoots and Pekins), but they have a Cockerel too, I was going to create an old biddies pen for him and some of the old girls that don't lay much anymore in the spring, but feel this incident has forced my hand. So you don't think i should put him back?

I personally prefer to keep a standard and a bantam flock for the time being. Some people keep mixed flocks of standards and bantams with mixed results.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

He should never have been separated from their sight since that completely removes him from the pecking order. Now he may have to work his way back in.

Put them back together in sight for a while and back together completely and supervise top see how it goes. If it doesn't go well, out him back in the separation but in sight for a few days... and keep trying until it's successful. How long has been separated for? If he is pretty functional then he will probably thrice more with the flock then without, in my experience.

You can keep your bantams separate if you like. I don't. Do what you think will work for you. If it doesn't, switch it up.

Good luck!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

However, I have never had an injury to a bird, but I don't think I would then either.

Agreed. Only if the injury causes relentless pecking by other members and potentially more harm. And then in sight if you plan to reintegrate.

 

[Lutman_Chick]

Thanks everyone,

I put him in away from the others as I thought it would stess him more seeing them! But he can still hear them so not really sure what my logic was. There is blood on the injury, when he catches it it bleeds, but don’t think I’ve seen any pecking.
I ideally would like to have separate flocks, I’d be worried the standard cockerels would squish the bantams when treading.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks everyone,

I put him in away from the others as I thought it would stess him more seeing them! But he can still hear them so not really sure what my logic was. There is blood on the injury, when he catches it it bleeds, but don’t think I’ve seen any pecking.
I ideally would like to have separate flocks, I’d be worried the standard cockerels would squish the bantams when treading.

There's plenty of times I look back and wonder what my logic was.

Blood actually MAY be an issue as it invites pecking. Some people use a product called blue kote if pecking is a problem. Do you know how the injury occurred?

I have kept bantams and large fowl both make and female... other than large groups of shipped chicks in the brooder, I've never had a problem with trampling, even when I had 82 birds with 10 of them being ducks. The ducks were definitely capable of some trampling though. I'm sure you will figure out what works best for you as we all have different set ups and mind sets.