- Thread starter
- #21
I think he's sad. At first he was happy to be introduced to his new little pen, and out of the crate, where he can see, but not touch the rest of the flock. His little pen is on the opposite side of the yard from the females. I'm trying my best to quarantine the new bird, but already he seems lonely, and it's not like he needs to be punished. How soon do you think I could let him walk around the yard with me, if the rest of the girls are still no touch, either in the coop or pen?
Biosecurity wise, they are all sharing a yard at this point, but there's still been no direct contact. I also don't want to you know, LOSE HIM, since the rest of the yard is just open. I was kind of planning on keeping him (overnight etc) in his own pen as long as possible until which time I'm actually ready to breed him, and at that point, pull the four BAs I'm not breeding into the small pen (so he would only be in there with Sydney and other hens / pullets whose eggs should be easy to tell apart), and let him stay in the coop with his girls overnight, and in the bigger pen with them all day, until I've got enough hatching eggs.
But now I'm questioning whether that (i.e. keeping him separated and waiting to integrate him temporarily for breeding purposes only) would be good for his mental health.
Thoughts?
Biosecurity wise, they are all sharing a yard at this point, but there's still been no direct contact. I also don't want to you know, LOSE HIM, since the rest of the yard is just open. I was kind of planning on keeping him (overnight etc) in his own pen as long as possible until which time I'm actually ready to breed him, and at that point, pull the four BAs I'm not breeding into the small pen (so he would only be in there with Sydney and other hens / pullets whose eggs should be easy to tell apart), and let him stay in the coop with his girls overnight, and in the bigger pen with them all day, until I've got enough hatching eggs.
But now I'm questioning whether that (i.e. keeping him separated and waiting to integrate him temporarily for breeding purposes only) would be good for his mental health.
Thoughts?
Hahah. I sort of feel like my coop is maxed out already with the 12 girls, so I would be clearing the four extra Australorps out of the way temporarily to make room for him to sleep in the coop without issue. Run is the same. DH wants me to rehome the ducks, which I'm not in a hurry, but anyway if I pull the non breeding BA hens out, that leaves only 8 girls, plus him, plus three ducks in the pen. So that's one thing. Space, and rooster breathing room.
