Teresa Bell wrote:Thank you for your responses!!! I’m so glad I found this forum. I believe he has been raised by a very attentive lady. She says he is quite gentle ( he’s a buff Orpington ) I’ve read before about putting him in the coop once they are settled for the night but was concerned about what happens in the morning when they awaken to find him . Would I then put him in a nearby area while they forage during the day( they are in a large tractor)?
Thanks again!!!
I totally agree, permies is great!
If he's a Buff Orpington, then he will definitely be gentle! Great choice! I've only had a few roosters in my chicken raising years that have earned the right to live on the farm until the day they die (naturally, not being butchered), and my Buff Orpington was one of them! The other is still around, and he's a seven year old Easter Egger.
Are they in a fully enclosed pen, as in is it completely dark until you let them out? If that's the case, it really shouldn't be an issue because they can't see. If not, it's still probably fine. Introducing at night is really helpful, though I totally get your concern. Buff Orpingtons are pretty big, so that's another bonus. I've used this every time I introduce new chickens, and it really helps the fighting. Besides that, it also means that they learn from day one where the coop is, so you don't have to catch him EVERY night to put him in. I always like to introduce more than one at a time to spread the pecking, but that's obviously not an option for you. If push comes to shove, you could always pull him out again, but chances are that he'll just learn to get along with them. Being smaller, he will have the added benefit of agility, so he can outrun them. In my experience, putting them together at night helps them adjust quicker than anything else you could do. Be prepared for it to take at least a week for them to completely settle in.