The girls HATE the new roo

[kathenna]

I have 12 hens, born this past March (a few just starting to lay now). A friend had an unexpected roo in town and needed to get rid of it. I told her I would take it and try it out. The roo is a EE and about the same age as my girls. So I had them separated for about 1.5 weeks and then put them together. They attacked the roo. He fought back a tiny bit in the beginning and ruffled his feathers and then they just beat him down. Now he doesn't fight back at all. Just cowers down or runs until he gets away and goes to the coop. He will stay in the coop all day to stay away from the hens. They pretty much leave him alone in the coop. The last few nights I have been putting him up on the roost poll to sleep with them. Else he sleeps in the nest boxes if I don't.

It has been almost a month. Will they ever get along? Will his hormones rare up and he will start taking his place in the flock? It is so sad to see. He has bald spots from them ripping feathers out and his comb bleeds sometimes from those nasty girls.

Also, when he first arrived he crowed a couple times, and now no crowing.

 

[iwiw60]

I wouldn't keep this roo your friend gave you as he most likely will get pecked to death eventually...it has happened. If your girls are pecking to the point of being bloody he should be removed immediately...blood will just send them into a frenzy. Wishing you all the best...

 

[bzender]

Rooster are hard a to add to an existing flock. The hens see him as an invader. Even adding a single hen to a flock this will happen most of the time. If you really want a rooster I would suggest getting another small flock started from chicks that you can add into your existing flock when they are old enough. When they first go outside from the brooder they should be kept in an area next to the older flock where they can get used to eachother without being able to get at eachother. When the younger ones are at least 12 weeks you can add them into your older flock. Just make sure you have plenty of space. The small ones will get picked on a little bit but it should just be to show their dominance and place in the pecking order. Just watch them for a while when you first put them together.

 

[soydo]

This is usually what happens with adding any new bird to the flock. They don't care this is a rooster, it's a new bird that needs to be reminded of its place.

The rooster is still young- that's the main problem. An older, mature roo would have handled those pullets very differently. He will eventually work his way up the flock status. Some of the pullets may become more receptive simply because they are in full lay- they want to be bred. Some he will just have to either court like mad or eventually stand up and fight with.

Give it time.