Trouble Integrating

[kukupecpec]

So I'm not sure if this is where this belongs, but I'll ask anyway!
I have an established flock of 5 hens and 1 roo. The hens are 1-3yrs of age and the rooster isn't quite a year yet. My roo is great! He is super sweet to me, and great with his ladies.
I have two younger chickens (I think one much be a roo) that are about 18 weeks. I am trying to add them to the flock and my rooster is being SO MEAN. They hide in the run way up on top of the nesting boxes and the roo will not let them come down to the ground to get food and water. I added them to the flock during the night, I took them out a week later and tried adding them at night again the next week, and it has been almost another week and the rooster still treats them as intruders. What can I do?

I have been letting the "core" flock out to forage in the mornings and afternoon to give the younger pair a chance to get food and water, but if the roo catches them he goes after them.

 

[donrae]

Your dominant rooster may never accept a younger rooster, period. You may have to give up a rooster.

You might try pulling the rooster out and leaving the youngsters in for a week or so, then put the older roo back in and see how things go. But 6 hens won't be enough for 2 roosters, you'll have overmating problems and stressed hens. I think you need to look into rehoming your young rooster, since you seem quite pleased with the older boy.

 

[ninadeeputz]

I agree with re-homing the young roo. I have 15 hens and 2 roosters and even with 15 hens, its stressful between the roosters. I imagine it would become unbearable when the younger one tried to come into his own.

As for the introduction problem... I would agree with separating the older rooster for a while. Let the newbies get to know the hens first. Then, once everyone has gotten comfortable with each other, let the rooster back in. The hen collective has a lot of power. If they like the newbies, I think the rooster will have to tolerate them.

 

[kukupecpec]

I can definitely rehome the younger guy. I wasn't planning on keeping him to begin with, but I figured his pullet counterpart would be happier with him until the flock accepts her. The older roo doesn't like the pullet though either. If she comes down (she usually comes down by herself, the cockerel is too afraid) the older roo goes after her. The older hens have never had a problem with her. They will share the food and water and even dust bathe with her, but as soon as that roo sees her, he attacks her, and he's not just trying to mount her, it is much more aggressive, I have seen him attack another full grown rooster that wandered into our yard from a neighbors and this looks just like it. He wants to kill her.