So my original plan was for EE's so I ordered two roosters and a hen. Two roosters because when I first tried for three hens and a roo my Henry turned into a Henrietta. So then I started investigating Barred Rocks and ended up with two penciled plymouth rock hens and three roosters; these were ordered last but came first. I finally got my EE's and just last week moved them outdoors. I knew I'd have too many roosters and I had a plan to thin the herd as it were but my main question now is with the EE's at 7 weeks, what's the consensus on adding them to the flock while separating out the adult roosters until I get everyone where they will ultimately end up? Is it too late? My main problem is that I had a rooster take after me as a kid and I won't tolerate an aggressive Roo, but I find the barred rock pattern of the hens to be a bit dull while the lavender EE's are beautiful. I didn't think about possible difficulties in adding in strange roosters to an existing flock. I just knew I don't want to depend on a hatchery (or Tractor Supply) for future chicks. Thoughts are welcome!
We raise Silkies, so not familiar with your breed, but in my reading umpteen posts about integrating young chicks, it usually never works out until they are the same size. In my experience, it's the hens that are the worst. One of our roosters tends to look out for them while they are free-ranging.
Things you could do for them at night that we did that worked:
1) Make a secure temp coop outside for the little ones to sleep at night, or keep bringing them back to the brooder every night, the latter of which gets old real quick!
2) Make them a hutch of sorts on the floor in the coop where they can go in at night, but the big ones can't. If you can't put food/water in there for them, you'd have to feed them outside when you let them all out in the morning as they'll be hungry/thirsty, knowing the older ones would never let them near it.
As for the roosters, I, too, will not tolerate a vicious rooster. I've not really had one attack me, but I've had two in the past that seemed like their whole mission in life was to constantly fight with hens and roosters. After unsuccessful attempts at separating, then trying it again, only to see him again drawing blood from several chickens, I eliminated them.
