Should I Seperate My Rooster From Hatching Chicks?

[maryellensflock]

~~I am a new member and I'm excited to learn as much as I can about chickens. Many years ago we had lots of chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. They free ranged our large back yard. Kids went off to college and we had to give them away.. Last year we were given 4 newly hatched chicks our neighbor couldn't keep.We ended up with 1 rooster and 3 hens. They are not free range due to a new neighbors dog that can jump our fence. They have a nice coop and large penned in area. We have chicks hatching today. Two sister hens are in a large nesting box together. So far 3 have hatched. I found one poor little guy dead on the ground. Our nesting box is 14 inches off the ground with straw on the floor. There is another hen that is brooding on a nest on the floor in the corner. Is it ok to keep the rooster separated until the hatching is over and chicks are out of the nesting box. The third hen has just starting brooding so she has 18 days til her chicks hatch. Thanks so much for your website.
Mary Ellen

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[gander007]

Alright Mary Ellen,

great to have you joining the BYC flock

I sure would put him away for a few days till you are ready to find out how he is around chicks

Congratulations on your hatching

BYC has a very useful learning center

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with the hatch! X2, you can keep the rooster separated for a little while until the chicks are older, especially since all three girls are broody and will hopefully have chicks. If you have him in a pen in the coop you shouldn't have any problems reintroducing him. Do you have a ramp or something going up to the high nesting boxes so the chicks can get up and down... or can you lower the boxes to ground level?

 

[Duckopolis]

Good luck with your poultry raising adventures, and I hope you find everything you need to know. Don't forget to take a look at BYC's very useful learning center (If you haven't already)! The learning center as well as the forum should answer your questions! There is always something new to learn! Glad to have you here! See you around with the flock.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

X2 Keep the rooster separate from the chicks until they are older. And make sure he does not try to mate with them until they are of breeding age themselves.

So glad you could join our community and welcome to our flock!

 

[drumstick diva]

New chicks aren't going to make it down to the ground without help. They aren't old enough to figure out a ramp. I'm wondering if the dead chick had fallen out and his mother didn't notice him .