To replace or not to replace?

[fishin_dad]

I have a 2 yr old roo and my flock is down to 5 hens. He is pretty big has become aggressive when it comes to mating and I was wondering if I should replace him with one of the new cockerels from a recent hatch. I will have at least 12 hens total but 7 of them are only 8 weeks old now but the other 5 are a little more than a year old. Any suggestions?

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, if you don't like him, if he is not working out for your flock, let him go as you see fit. I keep a flock, always solve for harmony in the flock. You can't wish them nice, and not all birds will fit or work in a flock. Sometimes that means a bird needs to move on.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure what that aggression entails. But I agree with Mrs K, solve for peace in the flock, not just for one bird. You are watching them and the one to make that decision.

If you raise a cockerel with the flock he will have to go through puberty. Not sure what your experiences with cockerels going through puberty are but those can get really unsettling. I hardly ever see any real physical damage but it can get violent. Some are worse than others, they are not consistent about how violent it gets. Most of the time when they mature it settles into a peaceful flock, but not always. Each flock has its own dynamics and some birds just don't work.

Good luck!