New Roo Beds Down with the Chicks

The plan was to house the new kid in separate quarters for a few days to allow acclimation.  But his first day (yesterday) had been a rainy day, and it turned into a rainy night.  I dutifully checked on him throughout the day, trudging out to the barn in my raincoat and galoshes, protective umbrella overhead.  There he was in his separate safe zone, eyeing the hens ... with the apparent desire to be out there with them.  They were calmly hanging out in the chicken yard, seemingly oblivious to the light rain.  I never saw the rooster go into his enclosed roosting box.  He simply took cover under the slight overhang of tarp that covers the roof of that structure. I didn't worry about him since the other chickens were playing out in the rain themselves all day.

That night, Rouse the Spouse and I went out to close up the chicken coop and check on our young roo.  He still had not taken refuge in the dry roosting box.  Chickens are creatures of habit.  We would have to teach this youngster where to sleep.  But he looked so lonely I couldn't bear to stick him in there alone.  Rouse was convinced that he could hold his own if we just put him to roost with the hens and let them all wake up together in the morning.  So, that's what we did.

This morning, they were all waiting for me to open them up to the chicken yard.  New Roo is a bit nervous - and I had to teach him how to get out of the safe zone into the chicken yard - but they all seem to be getting along OK.  The new kid will gradually work his way to the top of the pecking order ... he is a rooster, after all!