Socialization for baby roo?

EdnaAndEdith

Songster
8 Years
Mar 31, 2016
154
234
181
Hi.
So we have one solitary three week old cockerel (the other chick didn’t make it) that was hatched by our broody. She has been a great mother to several sets of chicks but I’m trying to figure out when is best to separate them this time because I will not be keeping this guy with the rest of the flock as I usually have. I have a home that is willing to give my little rooster a good home and they have pullets similar in age to put him with.
I’m wondering about the socialization period with him. I don’t want him to be lonely or outcast here with no other chicks to hang out with and grow up with (Especially during weaning I feel if he’s alone that could be traumatic) but I’m also worried if I take him away from momma too soon that it could damage his future. Similarly to when you take a puppy or kitten away from mom too early it can lead to problems in the future.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone had experience one way or the other? I want to make sure he has the best chance of becoming a good rooster.
 
Hormonal cockerels can be very rough on pullets. They do much better if they can go through the teenage phase in the company of older hens who will keep them in line.

Your hen will start to distance herself from her chick when she is ready to. I wouldn't separate them before that.
 
Maggie hatched out one little chick last year, and of course it was a "he". I just left him with her for as long as she wanted to mother him. It was longer than usual I can tell you! I'd leave him with his Mom as long as she will put up with him. It's a chicken, not a child and he will be fine!! Here's Maggie with her "boy", well past time for her to have kicked him from her care!

Maggie and Fowler.jpg
 
Hi.
So we have one solitary three week old cockerel (the other chick didn’t make it) that was hatched by our broody. She has been a great mother to several sets of chicks but I’m trying to figure out when is best to separate them this time because I will not be keeping this guy with the rest of the flock as I usually have. I have a home that is willing to give my little rooster a good home and they have pullets similar in age to put him with.
I’m wondering about the socialization period with him. I don’t want him to be lonely or outcast here with no other chicks to hang out with and grow up with (Especially during weaning I feel if he’s alone that could be traumatic) but I’m also worried if I take him away from momma too soon that it could damage his future. Similarly to when you take a puppy or kitten away from mom too early it can lead to problems in the future.

Any thoughts on this? Has anyone had experience one way or the other? I want to make sure he has the best chance of becoming a good rooster.

I would say at 5-6 weeks. The mama hen will be bereft if you take her baby too soon.

Having said that I have a bantam hen with 12 week old chicks that she still babies. Finally had to separate the three boys into their own pen and now she mothers them through the fence.

The next time she goes broody you could always give her dud eggs to sit on and just buy some sexed chicks for her to raise.
 
Thanks everyone for your input. That’s kind of what I was thinking. I’ll wait for mom to be ready.
 

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