Splitting up hatchmates

Mbart83

Chirping
Oct 13, 2017
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so I am torn- I love love love my rooster. I hatched him and his 4 hens 10/29/17- they are about 17 weeks now and always been together. They are English Orpingtons. I have a friend who would like to take him in for her 18 hens- since his crow is bugging my father who lives with me. I am very torn if I should do so or not. My questions are:
1) will he be ok without his four girl hatchmates that he has been protecting for 17 weeks?
2) will his 4 hatchmates be ok without him?
3) will he be ok with my friends 18 hens and learn to protect them?
4) will the 4 hatchmates pullets learn how to protect themselves against my flock of 8 hens during integration process....right now he is the only thing that does protect them.

Thanks so much!
 
The answer to all your questions is yes! They will all be fine. It would be perfectly natural for a cockerel to find a flock outside of his sibling flock and the integration process will involve scuffles and fights no matter what....even if he was there with them, they would need to find their place in the pecking order and he would still likely get picked on initially as he is an immature bird. He would have to prove himself to the flock in either scenario.

So really it is down to whether you can bare to part with him but rest assured, there's no reason why it wouldn't work for everyone x
 
so I am torn- I love love love my rooster. I hatched him and his 4 hens 10/29/17- they are about 17 weeks now and always been together. They are English Orpingtons. I have a friend who would like to take him in for her 18 hens- since his crow is bugging my father who lives with me. I am very torn if I should do so or not. My questions are:
1) will he be ok without his four girl hatchmates that he has been protecting for 17 weeks?
2) will his 4 hatchmates be ok without him?
3) will he be ok with my friends 18 hens and learn to protect them?
4) will the 4 hatchmates pullets learn how to protect themselves against my flock of 8 hens during integration process....right now he is the only thing that does protect them.

Thanks so much!
Yes to all. I think it will be a "happily ever after". I'm sure your friend knows what they're doing, but please make sure he is integrated slowly into his new flock. Even though he is a rooster, at 17 weeks the older girls may well gang up on him if he's not integrated gradually, but in the end I'm sure all will be good.
 
They will be fine! As long as your friend acclimate him to his new ladies first and doesn't just toss in with them. Her hens will prob pick on him a little, but he will be fine

Your girls may be a little extra shy witout him, but they will be ok too. When my PBR roo died protecting the hens they were all very quite and I think scared to leave the barn, but my roo died in front of them so it was probably traumatic also. My hens always free range never cooped and after he died they did not leave the barn for 4 days. Not normal for them.

All will adjust and be fine! :)
 
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Count your blessings, sometimes the only thing to do with an extra rooster is cull him.

It sounds like this is your first experience with chickens, if so, I strongly recommend an all hen flock. Get some experience before you try a rooster.

Truthfully, the girls will not even notice he is gone, and he won't remember them in a week.

MK
 
Yes, first time chicken lady since September!
Thanks for your response, I do not think the new home for him has experience when roosters either... sometimes I can’t stand that I love them so much! Should I be concerned that she hasn’t experienced roosters either?

Count your blessings, sometimes the only thing to do with an extra rooster is cull him.

It sounds like this is your first experience with chickens, if so, I strongly recommend an all hen flock. Get some experience before you try a rooster.

Truthfully, the girls will not even notice he is gone, and he won't remember them in a week.

MK
 

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