NEED HELP. Starting out Wyandotte breeder.

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They would be outside beside the house in a 100 gal stock tank. I am going to use the heating pad cave method this year. I have a hardware colth cover, and if needed we can cover with a blanket to keep extra heat in. I have read stories of chicks being in very low tempuratures with this, and being fine. When they get too big for that, into a open growout pen they go, with their heating cave.
I only have one hen I would be breeding with, so pairs or trios would be impossible. Soon ill upload plans of coop, growout pen, breeding pen, and rooster cages.
 
goldenpheasants said:
I have a new breed coming out to the standards list in january! Its called a Blue laced Red Wyandotte, they look like this
It took ten years and a lot of eggs but i finally got it, all standards for any wyandottes also including the comb texture
Click to expand...

Congratulations! That's a huge accomplishment and you should be so proud. The work and dedication it takes to develop a new breed is daunting. The amount of time evaluating and record keeping required to improve characteristics in a dog breed over 10 years is massive. I can only imagine that in chickens it was astronomical. Kudos to you on a job well done! They are simply gorgeous. Must be stunning to see your own creation ranging in your yards.

Lisa
 

Rooster Cages. 3x4 foot, 6 feet tall with cage elevated 2 foot off the ground. roosts 2.5 feet high, bottom is wire with droppings boards under it.


Breeding pen 3x5, moveable, nest box accessible from outside, covered 3/5, roost 2 foot high


top: current coop in black, current run in blue, future run extension in red
bottom: future growout pen. left of dotted line is covered roosts are diagonal, varying heights, two waterers and two feeders
 
Looks like it will be a nice set up.
What size will your grow out pen be?
Think about pens for separating your pullets from your cockerels before 4 months. I've found there is less stress and better growth without all the "puberty" issues. If their pens share a fence, a shade cloth hung on a shared fence keeps the cockerels from bothering the pullets and allows are flow. Both cockerels and pullets will benefit from the separation.
 
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The growout pen will be 15x20 feet, so 300 sq. ft. That is 6 sq. ft. per bird for 50 birds, the estimated amount of youngins to be hatched... When they are able to be sexed, pullets move out so if the numbers are even that will be 12 per bird, almost the recommended 14.
Will the pullets be fine if I integrated them with the hens I have now? There is 11, with 60 sq feet inside the coop and, when expanded, 308 sq. ft. in the run. It seems like it might would be crowded until the first cull. I also have chicken tractor that is 6x12 feet.. Maybe I should split the pullets in half, put half in the tractor and half in the coop? They would be more spaced out that way.
 
OR maybe I should eat the two Wyandottes with really bad body shape that haven't started laying eggs yet and the ugly mutt chicken I have.
wink.png
 
You are wise to plan ahead...
To move your young just sexed pullets in with your hens in the larger pen, you will want to insure they have access to their chick feed and water separate from the larger hens. The adults have a tendency to bully the younger more timid birds away from food and water. You can accomplish this by having a divider that lets the young pullets in, but excludes the adults....like a creep feeder for calves.
The pullets will cluster together for comfort when moving about the coop and run. They will also sleep huddled together. If your space for their feed and water is large enough, you might be able to offer them a low roost to get them used to roosting. As they grow, you can begin slipping them onto the adult roost at night.
 

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