Where do you keep your show Roosters?

[Christina.Rich]

Hi All,

I am new to chickens, but I do know that I have a love for Bantam and Standard Cochins!

I am really curious to find out from those of you who show your poultry, where and how you house your birds. I'm referring mostly to the roosters, as well as the show hens. I have one big coop right now with a large run attached, but I have come to find out that it doesn't give the best conditioned birds, and that roosters cannot co-exist without them fighting occasionally and having some damaged combs.

I don't want to keep them in tiny cages, and I still want them to be able to have a good quality of life.

Any advice and pictures that you can give will be SUPER helpful!

Thanks!

 

[Cyprus]

Hi All,

I am new to chickens, but I do know that I have a love for Bantam and Standard Cochins!

I am really curious to find out from those of you who show your poultry, where and how you house your birds. I'm referring mostly to the roosters, as well as the show hens. I have one big coop right now with a large run attached, but I have come to find out that it doesn't give the best conditioned birds, and that roosters cannot co-exist without them fighting occasionally and having some damaged combs.

I don't want to keep them in tiny cages, and I still want them to be able to have a good quality of life.

Any advice and pictures that you can give will be SUPER helpful!

Thanks!

I keep mine together as breeding pairs. I have bantams. I use a chicken tractor.
A friend of mine who is big into showing keeps his extra roosters in pens in the barn. The bantam pens I believe are 2x2 and about 2-4 feet tall. He beds with shavings. The other show bantams are kept in a sizable coop with a large, covered run. The standards free range.

 

[I Love Layers]

I like to keep my hens on the ground at all times since they seem to easily get fat. When I am not using the cockerels and cocks they go into 3×4 pens(I have large fowl Cochins) until I need them again. The bedding for both is shavings, I clean the male pens daily

 

[Christina.Rich]

I like to keep my hens on the ground at all times since they seem to easily get fat. When I am not using the cockerels and cocks they go into 3×4 pens(I have large fowl Cochins) until I need them again. The bedding for both is shavings, I clean the male pens daily

Are the pens that youre referring to for the cockerels (the 3x4 pens) inside a barn or structure, or outside?

 

[I Love Layers]

Are the pens that youre referring to for the cockerels (the 3x4 pens) inside a barn or structure, or outside?

The pens are inside a building, due to my location any bird outside in the winter would have frostbite by time the end of the winter.

 

[Christina.Rich]

The pens are inside a building, due to my location any bird outside in the winter would have frostbite by time the end of the winter.

For the pens inside, are they ones that you purchased somewhere or did you make them yourself? Do you by chance have pictures? I will probably end up going this route

 

[I Love Layers]

I made them myself, I will get pictures sometime in the next few days

 

[Christina.Rich]

I made them myself, I will get pictures sometime in the next few days

That would be SUPER helpful! Thank you!!

 

[I Love Layers]

4 of the cages, 3×4 each. A divider inbetween that can be taken out. The section of plywood gives the hens some privacy for laying.

I used materials I had laying around for doors. The wire is window screen, it is really nice because it keeps flies and other bugs out. The strap that holds the door closed is off of some old harnesses. The handle is a spool for thread. What holds the wire on is caulking, it was way easier to work with then staples. But if you ever have to replace the wire it can get to be a pain

Feeders and waterers

Whole view of a cage

 

[Christina.Rich]

View attachment 1396754 4 of the cages, 3×4 each. A divider inbetween that can be taken out. The section of plywood gives the hens some privacy for laying.

View attachment 1396755View attachment 1396756
I used materials I had laying around for doors. The wire is window screen, it is really nice because it keeps flies and other bugs out. The strap that holds the door closed is off of some old harnesses. The handle is a spool for thread. What holds the wire on is caulking, it was way easier to work with then staples. But if you ever have to replace the wire it can get to be a pain


View attachment 1396757
View attachment 1396758 Feeders and waterers

View attachment 1396759 Whole view of a cage

Sorry for the late reply. THANK YOU for the awesome pictures! I am going to have something just like this made for me! How many roosters do you have??