When should roos move out

[newcitychickmama]

I bought 8 from TSC straight runs. 3 have turned out to be roo's. I got 3 more pullets that are a few weeks younger. The original group get along great. I have integrated the younger girls, but the boys are being quite mean and won't stop pecking them. I have pulled the boys out into a dog crate. I assume I need a new coop for the boys? Chicken math got us, wasn't planning so many and now need to build a bigger run for the 8 hens. Is it typical for boys not to welcome new girls to the flock?

 

[aart]

Short answer, when they start harassing the girls.
I slaughter my extra cockerels between 13-16 weeks.
Still tender enough for the grill and before they start causing too much chaos.

How old are these birds?
Hard to say if the boys are 'defending' the flock against the newcomers,
or they're just too crowded,
or they're hormones are flowing and they are wanting to mate.

 

[newcitychickmama]

The older ones are 13-15 weeks old. The younger ones are about 10 weeks now. The boys started crowing last week.

 

[bobbi-j]

Your cockerels have reached sexual maturity. Kind of. Hormones have hit hard (think teenage boys) and they are out of control. Your pullets are behind them in maturity and won't be ready for mating until they are close to laying. Those boys should be separated. You also should consider getting rid of two (or all three) of those boys or keeping them in a separate bachelor pen.

 

[newcitychickmama]

That's what I was afraid of. I removed all of them early this am and set up a makeshift bachelor pad. I took 2 dog crated and combined them. My hubby and son keeps calling the boys "freezer bird"!

 

[careeka22]

That's what I was afraid of. I removed all of them early this am and set up a makeshift bachelor pad. I took 2 dog crated and combined them. My hubby and son keeps calling the boys "freezer bird"!
View attachment 1381647

Pretty boys! I would find them new homes or keep just one.

 

[lazy gardener]

Unless you have plenty of space for future breeding, and intend to be hatching your own eggs, I would get rid of all 3 cockerels. If you intend to breed your own, choose the best cockerel and get rid of the other two. Do not let a cockerel back with the pullets until the pullets are laying, and at that time, you can make a decision about which cockerel you want to keep. Give him a test run with the pullets and see if his behavior is acceptable.

 

[newcitychickmama]

I'm quite fond of them. They are so very pretty! The one is rather nice to the girls and cuddles with them! Lol I told my hubby we may need to build a bigger hen house and give the boys the coop I bought from TAC. Which I now know is too small for 8 hens!

 

[newcitychickmama]

Unless you have plenty of space for future breeding, and intend to be hatching your own eggs, I would get rid of all 3 cockerels. If you intend to breed your own, choose the best cockerel and get rid of the other two. Do not let a cockerel back with the pullets until the pullets are laying, and at that time, you can make a decision about which cockerel you want to keep. Give him a test run with the pullets and see if his behavior is acceptable.

Is it safe to say the hens that are the same ages as the boys will be ready to lay soon? I will make sure to keep them separate!

 

[careeka22]

Is it safe to say the hens that are the same ages as the boys will be ready to lay soon? I will make sure to keep them separate!

Depends on the breed and season, it took my first girls 8 months to lay but they went through the winter. From what I've read 4-8 months is normal.