Introducing a new Rooster...

[TC Schmidt]

I want to be sure I'm doing this right. I got a new rooster, I don't think you call them pullets but that's the age he is, and have him in a small crate in the pen with the other two hens that are about 3 years old and they seem to be alright. I've had him like that for about a week and let the hens free range while I was mowing yesterday and he let him loose in the pen. The hens still seem to be a little aggressive but nothing like the first day when I tried to integrate him with no pen and am planning to do that again in a few days.

Any advise is greatly appreciated.

Also, I have 5 other pullet hens in the garage that I am going to start leaving in a separate part of the pen I am adding to the existing pen as soon as I can and any advise there is more than welcome as well.

 

[Mrs. K]

At this age - age matters. Once they are 6 months it is really a non-issue, but before that it matters.

So how old are the pullets? Are they laying? Pullets and same age cockerels are often times a rough mix. He IS bigger than them, but not as confident as the older birds, so they won't put up with his nonsense, but the pullets might.

What does your run and coop look like. Often times I see runs that are just a bare rectangle - one feeder, one water. In this situation, a bird can see 100% of the other birds 100% of time. There is no place to get out of sight, out of mind. And this set up wastes all of the vertical space.

A better run, especially when adding birds has a lot of clutter in it. Enough clutter that it is a bit tricky to walk in. A plastic tote on the side is a place to get out of the wind. A pallet leaned against a wall can allow a bird to step behind and get out of sight. A pallet up on blocks actually gives MORE room as birds can get under it or on top of it. Old ladders, chairs, saw horses add roosts. Small piece of plywood can form mini walls where a feed bowl can be tucked behind.

It is important to have multiple feed bowls - but they must be placed so that a bird eating at that one, cannot see birds eating at another. I have a bowl for about every 2-3 birds.

I would add the above stuff to the run, let out the old girls, leave the cockerel in the little cage, add all the pullets to the coop/run. Let them explore until dark, just before dark, turn the old birds in, let the rooster out, and the more numbers of the pullet and roosters will be a lot for the old girls to fight with and they should all go to bed. Leave the pop up door open, if secure, and do it when you have a couple of days to keep an eye on them.

Mrs K

 

[Finnie]

Sounds like you are on the right track. I was going to say that you might want to add the new cockerel and the new pullets both at the same time. Spread out the 3 year old hens’ attention over more birds instead of them focusing on the cockerel by himself.

Then the cockerel is not the only newbie when he goes in.

 

[TC Schmidt]

Sounds like you are on the right track. I was going to say that you might want to add the new cockerel and the new pullets both at the same time. Spread out the 3 year old hens’ attention over more birds instead of them focusing on the cockerel by himself.

Then the cockerel is not the only newbie when he goes in.

That was my thought too, I'll add them all in together this next week/weekend. Thank you

 

[TC Schmidt]

At this age - age matters. Once they are 6 months it is really a non-issue, but before that it matters.

So how old are the pullets? Are they laying? Pullets and same age cockerels are often times a rough mix. He IS bigger than them, but not as confident as the older birds, so they won't put up with his nonsense, but the pullets might.

What does your run and coop look like. Often times I see runs that are just a bare rectangle - one feeder, one water. In this situation, a bird can see 100% of the other birds 100% of time. There is no place to get out of sight, out of mind. And this set up wastes all of the vertical space.

A better run, especially when adding birds has a lot of clutter in it. Enough clutter that it is a bit tricky to walk in. A plastic tote on the side is a place to get out of the wind. A pallet leaned against a wall can allow a bird to step behind and get out of sight. A pallet up on blocks actually gives MORE room as birds can get under it or on top of it. Old ladders, chairs, saw horses add roosts. Small piece of plywood can form mini walls where a feed bowl can be tucked behind.

It is important to have multiple feed bowls - but they must be placed so that a bird eating at that one, cannot see birds eating at another. I have a bowl for about every 2-3 birds.

I would add the above stuff to the run, let out the old girls, leave the cockerel in the little cage, add all the pullets to the coop/run. Let them explore until dark, just before dark, turn the old birds in, let the rooster out, and the more numbers of the pullet and roosters will be a lot for the old girls to fight with and they should all go to bed. Leave the pop up door open, if secure, and do it when you have a couple of days to keep an eye on them.

Mrs K

Cockerel... Thank you

He hatched in Feb and the other 5 pullets I'm integrating soon hatched in March, I tried putting him in the garage with them but he was a little mean for their size in my opinion. He bout took off one of their toes. ha
He is not bigger than the two in the pen he has been with for about a week actually, they are about twice his size.

There is room for them to move around fine but there's a good amount of 'clutter'.
-A hay bale on either side
-Couple thick trellises for roosting and hangin around
-Plywood and cattle paneling
-2x3 box Nesting box area
-And a couple random things here and there in a 9x13 pen (more like run)

I do only have one large feeder and waterer for the three in the pen though I'll try to add a feeder there and add more items to the pen when I build the add on for the new pullets.

Thank you for the advise.