A third rooster?!

[Folly's place]

And right now in the USA, it might be a bad idea to have any of your birds outside in areas not including roofing, because of the avian influenza outbreak.
I'd keep this trio separate if at all possible, or at least monitor really really well.
Mary

 

[Robin_Hood]

While having a lot of room would be to your benefit, the "need" is that they have to decide which one is dominant. That could mean a fight to the death or, like your other two, they could reach some accommodation. Often the boys establish their own territory and attract which girls they can but sometimes they find other ways. And sometimes chickens die or are seriously injured. A lot depends on the individual personalities of the boys.

If your Silkies aren't attracted to the other two roosters why do you think they'd be attracted to a third? I personally don't consider a rooster with the flock to be that much of a protection against predators. I've lost chickens to dogs, foxes, owls, and hawks. The dominant rooster did not stop any of these predators and was not injured. Mine try to lead the flock to safety instead of fighting a rearguard action. If something is suspicious a rooster will often get between whatever that is and the hens to check it out so they can be picked off. It's not that they are fighting the predator so much as they get just are a little more exposed. Most critters that get chickens are ambush predators so the hen is gone before the rooster knows hat is going on. I personally don't count on a rooster to keep them safe.

The AC trio are probably too old to be raised as members of the flock but are still immature juveniles. You can still integrate them but especially with the boy it becomes a little harder. Still people integrate them all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

You can always try. It might work out, it might not. I generally suggest you go by what you see rather than what some stranger over the internet like me tells you that you will see. Free ranging gives you a lot better chance than people that have limited space. Having a different place to have for them to sleep separately is a benefit but some times they can share sleeping space. You never know how it work will work out when you deal with living animals, anything can happen. When you free range your chickens are at risk to predators, with or without a rooster. When you try to integrate anything can happen. It may be an unbelievable success or abject failure.

Thanks for the info!
Yes speculation's all well and good but you'll never really know until the plan becomes reality
On this occassion I decided to just leave my flock as it is, in relative harmony. Would have been meddling with it for my benefit rather than that of the birds, plus I'll probably have a lot of broodiness in the coming months so could well have a few home-grown roosters which would likely be more compatible

 

[Robin_Hood]

And right now in the USA, it might be a bad idea to have any of your birds outside in areas not including roofing, because of the avian influenza outbreak.
I'd keep this trio separate if at all possible, or at least monitor really really well.
Mary

Thanks for the info, however I strongly suspect that 'avian influenza' is a nonsense fabricated by the media in order to deprive people of independent food sources

 

[Ridgerunner]

I believe avian influenza is real, if your chickens get it things get serious. The authorities charges with protecting our economy and our food sources take it seriously. Follow the money.

I don't believe the media gives booger snot about depriving people of an independent food source. I believe the media blows everything out of proportion because that creates drama and drama sells advertising. Follow the money.

 

[Robin_Hood]

I believe avian influenza is real, if your chickens get it things get serious. The authorities charges with protecting our economy and our food sources take it seriously. Follow the money.

I don't believe the media gives booger snot about depriving people of an independent food source. I believe the media blows everything out of proportion because that creates drama and drama sells advertising. Follow the money.

Well think of it this way - if USA farmland is being monopolised (which it is) and people are being convinced to cull their livestock (which they are) it creates a supply & demand dynamic which is very favourable for the few people left who are able to produce meat, and puts the public in a state of dependency on the government. Same reason why burning coal is slowly being banned, it forces people to rely on and become part of the 'system.' Sure, it's still a choice, but have fun being cold and hungry!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Thanks for the info, however I strongly suspect that 'avian influenza' is a nonsense fabricated by the media in order to deprive people of independent food sources

Just like Covid, which is tooooootally fake, despite having killed hundreds of thousands of Americans?
You're really funny, but it'll be less funny when your birds get an ACTUAL virus transmitted by wild birds. Nobody's out to get you. I don’t know where you’re getting your info, but it’s false.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Just like Covid, which is tooooootally fake, despite having killed hundreds of thousands of Americans?
You're really funny, but it'll be less funny when your birds get an ACTUAL virus transmitted by wild birds. Nobody's out to get you. I don’t know where you’re getting your info, but it’s false.

I gotta agree. Seems like there would be far more backyard flocks and commercial hatcheries hit than commercial broiler and egg laying factories if that were the case

 

[Robin_Hood]

Just like Covid, which is tooooootally fake, despite having killed hundreds of thousands of Americans?
You're really funny, but it'll be less funny when your birds get an ACTUAL virus transmitted by wild birds. Nobody's out to get you. I don’t know where you’re getting your info, but it’s false.

Believe whatever makes you feel comfortable, I care not; I know what I say to be true. 'tis but yet another case of the 'cure' being worse than the (contrived) problem.
'Support Ukraine'.............. ''If Television says so, it must be true!''

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Believe whatever makes you feel comfortable, I care not; I know what I say to be true. 'tis but yet another case of the 'cure' being worse than the (contrived) problem.
'Support Ukraine'.............. ''If Television says so, it must be true!''

@JacinLarkwell made a good point - where are you getting the whole "deprive us of an independent food source" thing? You'd think in that case it'd be less in commercial flocks and more in backyard ones.

 

[Robin_Hood]

@JacinLarkwell made a good point - where are you getting the whole "deprive us of an independent food source" thing? You'd think in that case it'd be less in commercial flocks and more in backyard ones.

Perhaps I could have expressed what I meant better - avian influenza will serve to create a scarcity of the meat IN GENERAL, which will in turn create a scarcity and demand for protein from other sources. This vacuum will be filled and demand met by corporate interests seeking to form a monopoly of the industry, by selling us processed garbage or insects (as we speak US farmers are being bribed to stop growing food in a bid to achieve this same objective). It starts with commercial flocks, but little by little it'll be harder to keep or purchase chickens for private meat and eggs, and sooner or later it'll be illegal to let your flock outdoors or to sell eggs etc.