2 cockerels 1 pullet and 6 chicks

[city_girl_farming]

Hello!

First post here, first-time chicken keeper and hoping I can get some insight. We started with 9 unsexed chicks from Hoover's hatchery and sadly most have turned out to be males. We have three left, 2 cream legbars and another sweet easter egger type breed. They are about 10 weeks old now. Just this morning two of my cream legbars sounded like they started to crow . I was almost certain they would be female because they have a salmon colored chest which I thought was a giveaway for female cream legbars...unless they aren't a full breed? not sure how that works. Anyway, I'm assuming crowing definetly means cockerel/rooster, but by any chance is it possible pullets would try to crow? Sounds silly but chatGPT says if they are trying to establish pecking order (I'm sure they still are because we have slowly removed 6 of their friends in the last couple weeks) they may attempt to crow lol. Just real desperate and hopeful still since the cream legbars are sooo sweet even if they are males one of them has been the sweetest of all since he/she was a day old chick.

Anyway, we are prepared to get rid of both if they are male regardless but not sure when is the right time. My first question is, how bad is it for the one pullet to be left alone for a period of about 4-5 weeks?

My 6 new female chicks (have been sexed, keeping fingers crossed) are in the brooder only about 3 weeks old and not ready to join the hen. They would be ready in about 4-5 weeks and that's to do it the recommended way in an enclosure within the run etc. Second question, do I need to wait this long to introduce them to the hen? Since it is only one hen not sure if we could introduce earlier?

If we don't get rid of the cockerels now, so she's not alone, will they try to mate or be aggressive towards the 1 hen in these 4-5 weeks?


Any tips are much appreciated!!

 

[DobieLover]

You do not have a hen. You have a lone pullet with 2 cockerels and a group of chicks.

If they are already crowing, they are cockerels. Post pictures of them for verification.

I would segregate the boys from the pullet before they start terrorizing her. Three weeks old is old enough to begin integration. If you have not already done so, set up a brooder for them inside your coop and use a brooder plate or mama heating pad for their heat source. After about a week of 'look don't touch' between the pullet and the chicks, fashion a small door or two in the brooder that is only big enough for the chicks to go through. Put the pullet in the run and let the chicks out to explore the coop without her in there. Herd them back through the chick doors a few times to they fully grasp how to escape back to their brooder. After about an hour, open the pop door and let the pullet come back in. Stay and monitor. She may chase them but should not be relentless about it.

During the 'look don't touch' period, make sure your run has been set up for smooth integration by having lots of things to perch on/hide behind in there, dry organic matter to scratch through and multiple feed/water stations.

 

[city_girl_farming]

You do not have a hen. You have a lone pullet with 2 cockerels and a group of chicks.

If they are already crowing, they are cockerels. Post pictures of them for verification.

I would segregate the boys from the pullet before they start terrorizing her. Three weeks old is old enough to begin integration. If you have not already done so, set up a brooder for them inside your coop and use a brooder plate or mama heating pad for their heat source. After about a week of 'look don't touch' between the pullet and the chicks, fashion a small door or two in the brooder that is only big enough for the chicks to go through. Put the pullet in the run and let the chicks out to explore the coop without her in there. Herd them back through the chick doors a few times to they fully grasp how to escape back to their brooder. After about an hour, open the pop door and let the pullet come back in. Stay and monitor. She may chase them but should not be relentless about it.

During the 'look don't touch' period, make sure your run has been set up for smooth integration by having lots of things to perch on/hide behind in there, dry organic matter to scratch through and multiple feed/water stations.

Thank you this is helpful! I'll post pics of my cockerels and coop/run set up tonight. May be an issue to do the brooder in the coop but I see what you are saying. We have a very small coop right now (that popular one from TSC) but a very large run. We are still working on converting a large shed into a coop to fit all 7 hens nicely. I think it may work if I let the chicks in the coop (it has an enclosed run) and let the pullet out in the larger run during the day.

 

[Mrs. K]

Do it the other way around. Keep the bigger girl in the mini run, let the littles out in the bigger run. Put a pallet up on bricks or blocks, so that the chicks can get under it or on top of it.

Put a tote or a box on its side, and the chicks will gather there at night. Makes it easy to scoop them up and put somewhere safe. If you are nervous with this advice, have them sleep in the box for two nights before putting out in the run. I have also used a small dog crate.

Thing is don’t prolong this forever. Keep them in sight next to the older bird for two or three days. Then let them out together near dark.

 

[city_girl_farming]

Do it the other way around. Keep the bigger girl in the mini run, let the littles out in the bigger run. Put a pallet up on bricks or blocks, so that the chicks can get under it or on top of it.

Put a tote or a box on its side, and the chicks will gather there at night. Makes it easy to scoop them up and put somewhere safe. If you are nervous with this advice, have them sleep in the box for two nights before putting out in the run. I have also used a small dog crate.

Thing is don’t prolong this forever. Keep them in sight next to the older bird for two or three days. Then let them out together near dark.

Love this! Will definitely try the pallet and box thank you!

 

[city_girl_farming]

Hello!

First post here, first-time chicken keeper and hoping I can get some insight. We started with 9 unsexed chicks from Hoover's hatchery and sadly most have turned out to be males. We have three left, 2 cream legbars and another sweet easter egger type breed. They are about 10 weeks old now. Just this morning two of my cream legbars sounded like they started to crow . I was almost certain they would be female because they have a salmon colored chest which I thought was a giveaway for female cream legbars...unless they aren't a full breed? not sure how that works. Anyway, I'm assuming crowing definetly means cockerel/rooster, but by any chance is it possible pullets would try to crow? Sounds silly but chatGPT says if they are trying to establish pecking order (I'm sure they still are because we have slowly removed 6 of their friends in the last couple weeks) they may attempt to crow lol. Just real desperate and hopeful still since the cream legbars are sooo sweet even if they are males one of them has been the sweetest of all since he/she was a day old chick.

Anyway, we are prepared to get rid of both if they are male regardless but not sure when is the right time. My first question is, how bad is it for the one pullet to be left alone for a period of about 4-5 weeks?

My 6 new female chicks (have been sexed, keeping fingers crossed) are in the brooder only about 3 weeks old and not ready to join the hen. They would be ready in about 4-5 weeks and that's to do it the recommended way in an enclosure within the run etc. Second question, do I need to wait this long to introduce them to the hen? Since it is only one hen not sure if we could introduce earlier?

If we don't get rid of the cockerels now, so she's not alone, will they try to mate or be aggressive towards the 1 hen in these 4-5 weeks?


Any tips are much appreciated!!