Young, Small Polished Crested Rooster - survive with bigger chickens?

[MicheleE]

We have a bantam Polished Crested Rooster. He's about 11-12 weeks old and he's started crowing. We can't have roosters in our town so I need to take him to a rooster rescue place. The problem is he's so small. A couple of weeks ago he was savagedly pecked by the head hen. We found the hen a new home because she had gotten really mean. He's now terrified of big chickens and runs away - which is good. The place I'm taking him may not be able to keep him isolated from bigger birds. We will keep him here as long as possible but does anyone have any suggestion for helping him fend for himself? Would it help to trim his crest so he can see better? Integrating the young and the old chickens has been the hardest part of raising chickens so far. Thanks for your help.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Integrating the young and the old chickens has been the hardest part of raising chickens so far.

When I first got into chickens I had an assumption that the roosters may hurt the chicks...which has never happened. I only have chicks that the hens hatch so when to introduce them to the 'herd' is up to the mother. I keep three roosters caged up in separate outside pens, but the chicks walk right through the 2 x 4 inch welded wire. The roosters never bother them...and these three are pretty aggressive, and big...which is why they are caged.

Two roosters...a small Seabright and very docile D'uccle rooster run and roost with the chickens...oddly, they always stay near their wife, or in the Seabright's case...wives. I have two bunches of chicks...one of five Old English (four hens and a roo...lucky me) and one of eight of mixed up chicks as yet unguessed as to sex.

When hens hatch chicks they introduce the chicks to the flock when they are just a few days old...and protect them. Mine do anyway. My oldest OE chicks are only 7.5 weeks old but the hen has (for lack of a better phrase) 'weaned' them a few days ago. She quit going in with them to the nesting crate where she hatched, and raised them...and started getting on a low perch and pecking them away from her. Now...they stay together but run the yard by themselves without her. She is no longer mothering them. She has taken back to the high perch with everyone else, and the chicks roost in the crate without her.

This latest batch is only 4.5 weeks old and the mother takes them very far afield. I live in a rural area on a dirt road...and am surrounded by woods. Yesterday she took them...along with all the rest of the chickens...across the road, and fifty feet into the woods. A predator got one chick (I heard the commotion in the woods and everyone came rushing out into my yard) so now she is down to eight. She spends a lot of time calling to them as they tend to wander off by themselves a lot. A lot more than I figured young chicks would.

But as far as the rest of the flock goes...the chicks, even the very young ones...are just part of the group and the mothers introduce them, and integrate them when they are just a few days old.

 

[MicheleE]

I've heard that it's different when the Mom hen is there. We had a Mille Fleur rooster and he was the sweetest chicken we've had yet. We had to take him to the rooster rescue. I feel bad when we have to get rid of the roosters - but we live in a suburban area. We take them to a woman who has a ranch about 40 mins from our house.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I have a mille fleur D'Uccle rooster...and his wife. And they are two of the sweetest chickens on earth too.