There's a rooster...

[DVTO2]

I've had hens for about 15 years. This year I ordered 10 rhode island red pullets from tsc and was surprised to see one is a rooster. They hens should be just about ready to start laying. I've never had a rooster before. Other than the crowing, which has not been that bad so far, what do I need to be concerned about having a rooster in the flock?

 

[aart]

If the pullets are about to lay(5-6 months old) and he has not been to much of a problem,
I'd just carry on as you have been.
Stay cool, calm, and collected around him.
If you're walking thru the run, walk 'thru' him, not around him, he should get and stay out of your way.

 

[DVTO2]

He has been annoying the hens more lately.

 

[aart]

How old, in weeks, are these birds?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
As long as the pullets can get away from the cockerels advances and they can eat/drink/rest I'd just let it work out.
It can be hard to know how much cockerel harassment is too much.
It's normal for him to try to dominate and/or mount them, but if he's chasing them nonstop and/or pinning them down that's not good.

If you don't want to deal with a male, get rid of him, nothing wrong with that.

 

[DVTO2]

18 weeks
run is 4' by 16' attached to a 10 by 6 coop.
He's not bothering them most of the time, that I can tell, at this point.

 

[aart]

18 weeks
run is 4' by 16' attached to a 10 by 6 coop.
He's not bothering them most of the time, that I can tell, at this point.

Keep an eye on things, not sure how much time you have to observe.
You may have a good cockerel on your hands,
a bad one would have been causing obvious havoc by now.

 

[Birdie mom]

there's not much to taking care of the boys. i ditto everything @aart just said.