The saga of introducing my adopted roo continues....

JulieBeth07

Songster
Apr 20, 2020
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Fort Pierce, FL
I apologize for the length and I'm not sure of I should post this under ducks or not... but since my issue is with the rooster I figured I'd post here. I've never had a rooster or had to integrate one.

Mr Bleu...he's about 4-5 months old, we adopted him from a friend that couldn't keep him. We've had him in our enclosed chicken run for almost 2 weeks, and have let him out short times supervised while the girls free range. We have 26 hens (13 are laying 13 will be soon) and 6 ducks (1 layer the other 5 aren't yet). They sleep in different places but range all day together.

He doesn't seem to bother the hens, they have kinda worked out their differences? Because the first couple of times they spent together the girls kinda made their presence known, but he'll still peck at them. The concern or behavior id like to curv is him chasing down a couple of ducks. For the most part its one in particular, a smaller gold star hybrid, and most of them aren't laying. I think he's trying to mate her.. or them. He doesn't seem to do it to the chickens? He almost seeks them out. I didn't know if maybe he sees them as a different flock? Or to show dominance?

Oh help me please 😆
 
My suggestion would be to just watch and only intervene if there is blood or it looks like someone is about to get seriously injured. There comes a time when they just need to duke it out and figure out their differences. There will probably some fighting for a couple of days, but after that they'll usually start to learn to get along. If they absolutely can't, I'd separate the ducks and chickens. That's what we're doing right now, because our drake is just way too violent with the chicken hens. The good news is that often, drakes tend to be more of a pain to chickens than roosters to ducks. So your roo should figure out his place soon enough.
 
My suggestion would be to just watch and only intervene if there is blood or it looks like someone is about to get seriously injured. There comes a time when they just need to duke it out and figure out their differences. There will probably some fighting for a couple of days, but after that they'll usually start to learn to get along. If they absolutely can't, I'd separate the ducks and chickens. That's what we're doing right now, because our drake is just way too violent with the chicken hens. The good news is that often, drakes tend to be more of a pain to chickens than roosters to ducks. So your roo should figure out his place soon enough.


That's what I was thinking. I just can't watch them all day long. I don't think its a huge problem. I just don't want to create a bigger one. He seems to have quite the confidence to be a rehomed roo in a yard of females....
 
That's what I was thinking. I just can't watch them all day long. I don't think its a huge problem. I just don't want to create a bigger one. He seems to have quite the confidence to be a rehomed roo in a yard of females....
That confidence may serve him really well, or turn him into a little terror. You'll probably need to work with him often to make sure he doesn't get too full of himself and try to challenge you. I know it can be kind of concerning when you can't watch them all day, but since they're free-range and have plenty of space to hide and get away,and plenty of distractions, I wouldn't worry too much. I'd be much more concerned if they were in an enclosed pen. Good luck with your little guy!
 
That confidence may serve him really well, or turn him into a little terror. You'll probably need to work with him often to make sure he doesn't get too full of himself and try to challenge you. I know it can be kind of concerning when you can't watch them all day, but since they're free-range and have plenty of space to hide and get away,and plenty of distractions, I wouldn't worry too much. I'd be much more concerned if they were in an enclosed pen. Good luck with your little guy!


Yes! That's what I'm afraid of! He seemed to challenge me a bit but seemed to back of. Where he was they didn't spend much time with him... and here I'm out there a couple of times a day. I want him to have our home as a home, but I don't need him to be a headache. I see his promise and potential, he is super handsome... but I don't need him to challenge me or my kiddos.
 
Mr Bleu...he's about 4-5 months old
He seems to have quite the confidence to be a rehomed roo in a yard of females
He's young yet, still feeling the first throes of new and raging hormones.

That confidence may serve him really well, or turn him into a little terror.
Exactly!

but I don't need him to challenge me or my kiddos.
Each human has to be more 'confident' than this bird.
How old are your kids?
 
Each human has to be more 'confident' than this bird.
How old are your kids?
I completely agree with this. It could help a lot if each of you spend about five minutes a day holding him. This puts him in a position of submission that he won't be sure how to fight. If he ends up threatening you, and you or your kids respond in an aggressive manner, such as kicking or yelling at him, he'll just become more aggressive. Young and confident probably means he'll try to bite or chase you. It will start small. Don't yell, don't show any fear, and simply pick him up and carry him around. This should put him in his place and really can work wonders with a young roo.
 
My daughter is 12 and my son is 2 (he obviously only goes out with a parent). We all spend quite a bit of time out there. I usually go out there a couple of times a day. When we first got him I was picking him up and he did great. Then and then he started pecking me. So I try not to reach in for him. (I guess that was my first mistake) He seems to give me the most side eye in the am. He gives me the side step a couple of times when I go in to feed him. He didn't give them problems but they also don't spend as much time as I do with my flock. He did get into it with their drake, but now seeing how he is with my females the drake was probably protecting her.

Thank you so much for all of the advice, I really appreciate it. didn't know what I was getting adding Mr Bleu.
 

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