Skiddish new rooster

[Jlhusch]

Hi.. I have a flock of 12 1yr old sex a link hens.. I just picked up at 5 month old amaracana x rooster yesterday and introduced him into the flock... he won’t go near them and at night literally sleeps behind the laying boxes and won’t come out in the day unless I force him to... I still don’t know if he’s eaten or had water... today all he does is pace the back fence trying to get out.. do u think he will calm down and eventually take a liking to my hens? I’d love for him to mate so I can get some fertilized eggs for hatching.. I’m sooo new to chicken raising. Please help

 

[azygous]

Expecting a five-month old cockerel to immediately socialize himself with the existing hens is like expecting a twelve-year old boy, just entering adolescence to become a caregiver of an existing family, one he'd never met before the day he was thrust into their presence.

Your new cockerel is aware of being outnumbered by all those females and their having the home advantage. He's rightfully afraid of them and what they might do to him since he's the new strange chicken.

You can help ease him into his new environment by providing a safe enclosure, it can be temporary and crude, so he can safely get to know the hens and they can safely adjust to his presence in the flock. It would be much like the introduction of a new hen in a flock, which I wrote about here. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

Tossing a new cockerel into an existing flock, especially if he's of a timid nature, risks him being slow to develop self confidence and being bullied instead of him learning his role as flock protector. It's worth it in the long run to take the integration slowly. It will pay off in spades.

 

[Jlhusch]

Ok so this is what I’m trying as of right now because I felt sick to my stomach after reading these reply’s... I’m soooo thankful for all of your replies.... anyways... I just let all of the hens out of the coop and run because they love to forage all day so they are all happy right now out digging up the dirt for bugs and such.. which is so fun to watch btw... and I let him have his own space inside the run and the coop by himself so he can get to feel a bit more relaxed... I was thinking every morning doing that and then adding 1 hen back in each day to spend with him... I dunno... that’s really my only option because I can’t catch him to put him in a separate cage... and I was also thinking of building him his own roost up high in the corner so he can have that to himself if he wants so he doesn’t have to hide behind the laying boxes... let me know what you think. I appreciate all of this

 

[azygous]

Have you ever had a rooster before this one? Have you ever heard about how some roosters are aggressive to people and sometimes hurt people? I don't mean to upset you or worry you needlessly, but you need to learn to handle your cockerel and establish a relationship with him now or there could be issues with aggression later on if he gets mixed signals from you.

He can get mixed signals if you are afraid to touch him and handle him. I'm not talking about cuddles. It's not proper to cuddle a rooster. They're best left alone except to inspect them occasionally for health reasons and to discipline them. It's important you learn to manage him now.

You can begin by teaching him to come to you. This is very easy, and you can teach your hens as well. You need to choose an audible cue such as a clicker that you can get at PetSmart for a buck. Or use a word or phrase. Then use that cue each time you offer your chickens treats. Very quickly they learn to come when you use the cue.

When your cockerel is coming to you when you signal him with the cue, next step is to hold the treat close to your body so he has to come very close to get it. Do this for a couple of days, but don't try to touch him yet. When you see he's trusting you to come in close to accept a treat, then reach out slowly and stroke his neck and throat. It's only a short step to picking him up from there.

As far as discipline goes, it's best to ignore the cockerel except for when it's necessary to handle him. He needs to understand you trust him to learn his role in the flock. If you leave him alone, except for when you need to handle him, you shouldn't have any aggression issues.

Your plan to slowly integrate him should work. The objective is to allow him to adjust to the hens without becoming overwhelmed. The special perch probably won't be necessary as he will soon be the flock favorite and the hens will all want to be the ones to roost beside him. It shouldn't take very long.