Want to add a rooster to my flock - need some advice

[mpgo4th]

The funny thing is that they don't really peck at him anymore. They just chase him away from things.

 

[chickery-do]

mine does that too and every night I move him and his same size girl friend back to the roosts. The Big girls would forgo the higher roosts just so they could be close enough to peck at the new guy and gal, but it's better now. If you can catch your mean girls in the act you can give them a flick and a "No!" like an adult roo would do during a spat...well he wouldn't say "No" but he would do the rooster equivalent. I read that somewhere on here tried it and it seemed to work

Glad you liked it her

What do you mean by a flick ? I have a guy that's 3/15/13 and he's always biting hens, roo's I've yelled, used the hose and but him in a cage for the day but he's right back at it when he's w/ them again, How can I stop him w/o wringing him neck! I've banged on the fence, everything shoot of the beebee gun! lol Hay I could do those rubber band guns on my finger. That used to hurt when I was in school. The boys would do it for attention, playback's a witch ;-) lol

 

[AKchicken1]

quote name="chickery-do" url="/t/800173/want-to-add-a-rooster-to-my-flock-need-some-advice/30#post_11687987"]I have lost 4 girls just this summer to a raccoon & a hawk. I've just purchaced 1 GLW cockerel born 3/15 and while there I brought home 1 Columbian Wyandotte His age) and 2 Cochin born 5/18/12 THAT I'VE PURCHACED 6/4/13 THAT HAVE NOT LAID AN EGG YET. The seller from BYC Humphreyfarms

claimed they laid eggs 3-4 xs per seek for 1 and 4-5 for the other. There's NO way there in the woods (pen & tractor all the one them) One nest box has hay the other has shavings. They EAT oyster shells and their feed. We've even put up some night vision video camera's from my son's friend. He uses them for finding deer at night.. So there's no egg eating weasel or such. There's no egg shell's laying around. There super easy to train, but it's like she sold me her grandma's!!! W/ respect, what would you do other than tv dinners of them come fall? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ NOW THE COCKEREL- when I tried to put them w/ my girls (they were free ranging at that time) a fight broke out w/ 3 of my girls and him (he's bigger than them) that lasted 15 min. That was a few week's ago. So now, I need to get them together again. Should I of let the fight continue? Now I am penning them side by side, so how long before I open up the gate? Does anyone else shop at Tractor Supply and end up w/ more males than females? I for one am pretty upset w/ what I have ended up with !

[/quote] They rearlly are not old enough to be laying. When theyget older they will lay eggs.

 

[Annasg]

I got mine at Tractor Supply. Told me I was getting all hens, didnt happen. I only bought 6 and so far 2 of them are roos. Not happy at all with what they sold me. Bought them 3 days before Easter as chicks. I have one laying everyday but the rest of them, I still am just not sure of. Mine dont fight but they are not all the same kinda chickens either. Think I might go to the local Co-Op next year and pay a much higher price for them. I have had disease that I am treating now but not sure if what I am giving them is enough for the problems I am having. Got a friend who bought several from Tractor Supply and has lost all of them. Still on the edge of my seat waiting for mine to pass away on me. I have their cage so secure, I really dont think anything can get in there but you can never judge a predator. When I had birds before, I lost them to weasels. I want to think mine are weasel safe but you just never know. Now, I have all these other things going on that I never had before. Its just kind of a tossup if you can keep them safe and disease free. Sure seems like a chore sometimes instead of enjoyment.And, if they die, I am not going to eat them without knowing what they might have died from. The last one, I fed to the local buzzards because I was afraid to eat it. And 'Vet Fees', who can afford that?

 

[mscarole]

I am a new chicken owner and the four chicks I have are all pets. I have two chicks that are about 8 weeks old and two that are about 5 weeks old. I have had them all in the garage since they were babies (2 days and 2 weeks old) in two separate cages due to their age difference which were side-by-side. You might say they were familiar with each other. I have been putting the two older chicks out in the beautiful coop that a friend and I built for them on days when it was above 65, then I would return them to the garage cage at night where it was warmer. Recently I left the two older chicks in the coop over night and by using a red light in the coop, it never got any colder than 59 in there. The next day I moved the two younger chicks into the larger cage and then brought the older chicks in one at a time. It's really funny to watch how each age group immediately established pecking order very soon after I got them. When I put both of the older chicks in with the two younger ones, I watched them closely to make sure they didn't hurt the littler chicks. The larger Americana (Stella) is the dominent of all and makes sure the others remember it. There was a lot of pecking and chasing, I even taped it and posted it on my Facebook, but within a few hours everyone was nestled together in the same spot peacefully. This went better than I had expected.

Now I want to introduce a rooster to the girls. I have a friend who wants to give me a young bantam rooster. Should that rooster be the same age as my oldest chicks (8 weeks)? Or should I wait until the girls are laying eggs? And should I quaranteen him for a month before allowing him into the same area as my girls; or can I ask my friend if her roosters have any health issues and trust her if she says they don't?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

mscarole: getting a rooster that is about the same age is ideal. But as they all mature it becomes less of an issue since he is the only male he will establish himself as their leader, and start courting them with dances and finding them food. The whole seduction is really fascinating and entertaining. I would definitely quarantine any new bird before introducing them to your birds. Start out with a week or two in a wire kennel in your garage or what have you then move him to the run or the coop in the cage then let him out...Your friend may have healthy birds in outward appearance but you just never know what could be going on and plus it's just easy to let a new bird acclimate to a new place this way. I don't think you need to wait until your hens are laying to introduce him. Are the girls standard size you say? It maybe good that he's bantam sized if there is only 4 of them.

 

[mscarole]

Bogtown Chick: Thanks for all your information. My chicks are now 18 and 15 weeks old. One of the 15 week old chicks is a Golden Sexlink and I read on this website that they can lay their first egg at 17 weeks. So I'm excitedly awaiting that first egg and I check the egg box every morning. My friend called me and said her bantam rooster was ready to come live with us because his mother was pushing him away. She brought him over Sunday night. He was born some time in August, so he is about 4 weeks older than my girls. He is beautiful and looks like he may look just like my picture on this site when he is fully grown, but smaller than all my girls. I did place him in a small cage inside the larger coop outside, and he danced back and forth inside his cage for hours for those girls. They all were very interested in him and the activity was so fun to watch. They can't hurt him, so he is safe. I plan to keep him in the smaller cage for about a week. Is that long enough? The lady who gave him to me thought four to five days would be long enough.You said in your comment that it would be good if he was a bantam with my four girls. My girls are all full sized chickens. Can he take care of them even though he is smaller than them? And, will their eggs be smaller, like bantam eggs, if they are fertilized by him? I plan to eat the fertil eggs and not allow them to brood on them. I don't want to mix their breed.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Whoop... you've already introduced him? Generally you want to wait a week keeping him isolated. (no contact-seperate building wise). Germ and disease spreading can still happen if they are within proximity of each other. But I understand the excitement of wanting to show him off to his new ladies. A week in his cage now...is fine. 4 or 5 days is probably fine if he doesn't show signs of illness. If he does...remove him immediately from your hens. He will be able to mate a standard sized hen. It may take him a couple tries...but Practice makes Perfect with these young boys. You might see him overly busy as he first matures...but he'll settle into his hormones and mellow. The eggs will be standard sized according to your hens. If you were to allow hatching of chicks then you'd see probably a mid sized chicken in those birds. But since your not allowing that...it's a moot point.

Enjoy your beautiful new Boy and "Chicken Days of Our Lives." It's a hoot.

 

[khloe205]

Anyone want a rooster?

We have a rooster who is a New Hampshire red hes very beautiful green / blue / black tail very pretty
he is aggressive, but not to hens, he loves watermelon.


Cost ~ free to a good home (meaning no eating him)


Please give us a call if your interested at (719) 440-0606 or (719) 201-6740
Cari ^ Kenny ^
or if you have any questions / comments type me back!!

Thank you !!!!!!

 

[kimthom66]

It doesn't really matter what age a rooster is. I have baby chicks and they hang out with my rooster. But DON'T mix the rooster and hens when you first get a rooster. Instead put the rooster in a separate pen close to the hens. And when you feel that the rooster & hens are acquainted. you can put the rooster in the hens pen. Only under supervised watch. But also some advice from me, I would get a younger or smaller rooster they're more gentle on the hens.

I just recently got a new young rooster (14 weeks old) I have 4 - 1 year old hens and 4 young chicks (6 weeks old). He is in a dog crate inside of the run and I cover his crate at dark as he gets agitated when the hens go to bed. What I have observed of the few times I've let him out the older hens try to dominate him and so far he is letting them, but I think once he gets older her will put them in their place? He is however sweet as sugar with my young chicks, who are also near the run but not in with the older hens. He's been in the crate for two days and thinking of letting him sleep in the coop tonight? How long do they need to stay separated? I figure there are going to be some pecking order issues. but the fact that he is young I think will work in my favor? Will he eventually rule the roost is my question?