Toughening up a rooster?

[cluckcluckgirl]

We have a (about) 3 month old Wyandotte cockerel. He's gonna have to go outside with our 13 girls (ranging from 1 year to 3 1/2 years old) pretty soon, so we ran a test run today. I found him pecked bloody in a corner of the coop. He's still alive and I believe he will make it. How do we make him tougher (if there even is a way)?

 

[lightchick]

Your just going to have to introduce him slower and provide him with protection.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I'll have to try that. My family looks at me as though I have 3 heads when I tell them that this happened probably because the boy isn't mature enough yet, and my hens have no respect for roosters due to a bad rooster that we got once. That rooster was under all my hens in the pecking order, so they could do whatever they wanted to him. Are those reasonable suspicions for the problem?

 

[lazy gardener]

Regardless of their previous experience with roosters, seasoned hens will beat up a cockrel. Per PP, The boy will need gradual introduction, perhaps where he can be near the girls with a separating fence for a while, then, you might want to try putting your lowest pecking order girl with him for a while, or let him free range with them for a while before putting him in a closed run/coop, and even then, he'll need places where he can hide from them. Good luck.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I have a plan to fence off an area of their run this weekend so that they can still meet each other, but not physically harm each other. I put my girls in their coop at night and have to open it back up for them in the morning. Will the cockerel and his pullet be alright through the night and morning or is there the odd that they will get beat up? I don't leave any lights on.

 

[centrarchid]

Place him in his own pen near adults until he comes into mature feather when about 7-8 months old. Then he will hold his own against those old bitties with ease.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Okay, so they've been outside all day in a fenced off area of the chicken run. Will they be alright getting put in the coop at night until morning or do you think they'll get pecked at?