URGENT!! Trouble -12 week olds meet our 10 mo. game rooster.

[vickiecampbellusa]

HELP!

We're having trouble with knowing how to get our rooster and three new chickens to live together in harmony. We could call ourselves "Campbells chicken rescue" because in the last year, we have adopted (now) 4 chickens. Buddy... is a game rooster, now 10 months old, who has free range of our yard every day, but since the winter, goes in at night to roost. Buddy has been like our little boy... mostly friendly and we have fun together, "bugging" and "fishing for worms." In other words... he has always been happy with us. Then, we rescued three 4-wk old chicks January 23rd, and they've outgrown 3 "domiciles" (brooder, dog carrier, and 5 ft. chicken "cage")-- moved from our closed-in porch to our garage, and we just finished a 10' x 12' coop. Sunny, Barley & River have also become part of our family... we "love" them and have had a blast since their arrival. The weather has warmed up enough that we think they can be left outdoors, and they need more room anyway. Well, we now have a big problem. Buddy's heard them for weeks now, seen & smelled "evidence" of their presence because we let them outside a few hours in the morning before we let him out of his "roosting place" in the barn, and late afternoons, after we coax Buddy back in to his pad. The problem is that "Buddy"... now 10 mo. old... has now seen them! Two days ago, Buddy watched my husband finish the coop (which is like a big covered pen)... and when it was finished, Buddy decided to go inside, so we locked him in!

We let the little guys outside to roam and led them to the coop area. Buddy was shocked and VERY ANGRY

... to say the least. The chicks didn't seem to be bothered at all by his "growling" and crowing. They pretty much ignored him. Shortly before sunset, we took them back in the garage and let Buddy out. He raced around to try to find them (but couldn't), and in his anger tried to attack me. I kept him at bay, but later, I went outside & he caught me by surprise and succeeded... putting about a 2" scratch and bruise on my right leg. YESTERDAY... we reversed it. My hubby put the chicks in the coop and let Buddy roam free... and that actually was WORSE! He was FURIOUS! He ran around the cage... "growling and yelling" and ruffled up his neck and feathers in attack mode, trying to stick his head through the chicken wire (which was impossible). According to my hubby, he did this for HOURS, only briefly walking away to one of his favorite places. I came home around 6 p.m. & he was beside the coop... still guarding and growling

I tried to coax him to his roost (barn) and he revolted! He would NOT LEAVE his post by the coop. It was only after over an hour of sheer torture... running, me chasing at times... (for me & him) that he finally ran into his evening roost. My once fun and friendly little "buddy"... has now turned ferocious and wants to fight - both me & my husband - we're now afraid to ever combine Buddy and the "kids"! We had hoped to at some time let them all free range together, but we're afraid that Buddy will kill them! NOW WHAT? We don't want to totally ruin what was a warm relationship with Buddy... but we would like our trio to be free to roam also. We really need advice!

 

[dianaross77]

When it comes to introductions, size matters. If they aren't close to the same size or bigger than the roo, I wouldn't risk it quite yet. You didn't say if the new chickens are all hens or not. Game roosters generally will not tolerate another rooster. It takes time to integrate flocks. Usually, its best to have 2 separate areas for each group where they can see eachother but not touch. Chickens are flock animals. It's not normal or ideal for them to be alone. Some of what he is doing might just be showing off. Roosters need to be at the top of the pecking order but they can inflict serious damage, too.

 

[vickiecampbellusa]

Thanks for your input. According to my hubby, today, Buddy seemed to be less aggressive for most of the day and even stayed away from the coop for long periods of time. As before, the 3 "munchkins" just sort of tolerate him... not showing any fear or concern with all of his grumbling or "dancing"... which is what it looks like when he's angry and he puts his feathers down and fluffs up. All that said... following my arrival home, and an hour or so in the yard digging worms for treat time... Buddy decided to get aggressive again. He attacked me... REALLY ATTACKED ME! In fact, when he loomed up at me, he ripped through one of my heavy duty rubber gloves with his spurs and when I tried to defend myself... striking blood. I tried to "fight back" with a stick, but he kept coming at me and my other hand now has a small scratch also!!! I was genuinely afraid of him today... as he came MUCH too close to my face in one of those "flogging" moments. We resorted to "water torture"... as we tried to "cool him down"... chasing him with water from the garden hose. We spent at least 30 minutes trying to get him into the barn to roost... which we did succeed in doing... just before sundown. He crowed loudly and "cried"... for a long time inside up on his perch. I felt so bad for him... and now, we are REALLY wondering what to do.