Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Fred's Hens]

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Nice looking females on that fence, Jules. Really nice heads and they look to be very heavy bodied.

 

[gjensen]

Good looking birds. Watch the feather.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Bee I do love those white birds!!!!!!

 

[NanaKat]

Who has chicks?

 

[chickendreams24]

I have some English orp chicks and a white sport cream legbar chick too that I was given by another BYCer

I also have 4 broodies and an incubator full of eggs Slw, slw/EE mixes, slw/buff Orpington mixes, silkies and a few oegb for the fun of it.

Not exactly heritage for the most part but that's the way were taking them. However we're still searching for our favorite go to heritage breed(s). We like the slw they're decent layers, nice to look at, and built well for DP but our cockeral has been getting more aggressive as he's reaching the one year mark and rather than aggressing towards strangers or anyone else he focuses it on me. I've got little nieces nephews and cousins so I don't want a bird I can't fully trust free ranging my property. All the same we're excited to try out all their DP attributes as some of our pullets are about ten pounds and our cockeral is 12-15.

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

Who has chicks?

I have raised my chicks they will be one year the middle of April RIR 22 20 Of them are hen so my two Roosters are showing no meanness towards me or each other they are in same condo pen with 20hens so they are sharing very well with each other one cockerel is older than the other he was a year in February the other one is 3 months younger. I get plenty of eggs but they have slowed down as they are in the molting stage .

 

[hellbender]

I have raised my chicks they will be one year the middle of April RIR 22 20 Of them are hen so my two Roosters are showing no meanness towards me or each other they are in same condo pen with 20hens so they are sharing very well with each other one cockerel is older than the other he was a year in February the other one is 3 months younger. I get plenty of eggs but they have slowed down as they are in the molting stage .

They may be chums for so long as you have them but then...all hell can brake loose if they take a fancy to a particular hen at the same time. Cock-birds are funny that way...not so different than their human counterpart.

 

[gjensen]

Many used to flock mate, and some still do. The specific requirements vary from strain to strain, but some fundamentals remain the same. There should be enough hens/pullets, and there has to be enough space. One cock or cockerel needs to be able to get away from another, and it helps to have a feeding and watering station for each male. Three males can be better than two, sometimes. Ratios like 3.24 etc. If the males are raised together, they can often be rotated together.

There are always exceptions running either way, and their are always pitfalls to be aware of. Some strains are so competitive that no amount of extra effort will work. Some are so complacent and lethargic that anything will work. Most fall in between the two extremes.

Flock mating is a viable option, and their are advantages to this system and it's many variations. There are advantages and disadvantages to every system. Whatever the system chosen is, the success of any of them depends on smart selection.

When someone chooses to flock mate, the option to do side mating in pairs, singles, quads, etc. is still there.

Even when we single mate etc., and we think in terms of individuals, the reality is still that we are trying to move a population of birds forward.

 

[Fentress]

I got a cock and 2 cockerels and so far they are very chill with each other. I could not have asked for better behavior. An advantage I guess of standard bred poultry, but I still think that individual personalities can play a role. We are finally starting to dry out which allowed my to move the flock to fresh ground and set up a breeding pen. Looking forward to breeding hens this year instead of all pullets. As luck would have it, I have to have surgery, so my spring plans are totally shot to who knows what. Hopefully, recovery will be quick and I can still make use of the new cabinet incubator I got this winter, as long as I can get a few things constructed in time. Why am I always building stuff??? lol

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

I have raised my chicks they will be one year the middle of April RIR 22 20 Of them are hen so my two Roosters are showing no meanness towards me or each other they are in same condo pen with 20hens so they are sharing very well with each other one cockerel is older than the other he was a year in February the other one is 3 months younger. I get plenty of eggs but they have slowed down as they are in the molting stage .

They may be chums for so long as you have them but then...all hell can brake loose if they take a fancy to a particular hen at the same time.  Cock-birds are funny that way...not so different than their human counterpart.

you are righteous is more mate minded than the other and he more laid back so far so good and I have 10hens per rooster and 5feet per bird upstairs and downstairs in my pen and I am wary every day even if they are brothers same sire different hen and so far the younger rooster excepts the older cockerel as boss when he was about 5months old and the older cockerel was 8 months old a little things happened that I thought I was going to need to take him out but when he got in a corner and didn't fight anymore my older cockerel stopped pecking and flogging him it was like now you know I am boss and when older brother picks a particular hen to mate he get out of his way and I have sold hatching eggs to two different people and have seen the chicks from my flock mating process with two brother cockerels and the little chicks look even darker than mind and have been going up super and the fertility ratio and the good luck that they had with the eggs was great my niece purchased 72eggs she hatched out 56 chicks and another person purchased 4 dozen eggs and hatched out 3dozen and it was his first time hatching out any eggs.But as I said I am wary and watching the cockerels brothers and hoping things keep going well it been a 6months together and so far so good.