2 Roosters Have Arrived !

[RoosterML]

I usually set up my breeding coops after the first of the year. From your pictures, your small coop could be your breeding coop. Pick out your best females and put them with the male of your choice. Put the other male with the rest of the females. If something happens to one of the males, you will have a backup. It looks to me to be a nice setup. You may have a broody in the spring that will hatch some eggs.
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Thank you, Question for you as I know nothing about breeding. How long does a hen need to be with that particular rooster in order to be sure he is the father and not the other? For example if they have all been together the whole time but I decided I only want the Lavender rooster with the lavender hen do they only need to be together for one day or 2 or maybe weeks to know for sure the lavender rooster will be the father?

 

[cmom]

The female can hold the sperm for up to around 3 weeks. To be safe, I put the male I want in with the females I want him to breed with for about a month before I collect the eggs for hatching. I have used broody's in the past but now I put the eggs in an incubator. You can save the eggs for up to about 10 days and after that the eggs may start to loose their viability. Good luck and have fun...

 

[RoosterML]

Thanks again, last question, to do or not to do. If I am lucky enough to have a broody hatch or adopt chicks. Do I leave them in with them whole flock or separate? My preference would be to leave everyone together flock,chicks, and mama. Space is not really an issue I believe they have plenty of room.

 

[cmom]

I do keep the mom and chicks separated from the rest of the flock for awhile. As the chicks grow and feather out then you can put mom back in with the flock usually at night when they have gone to roost. I have used a big melon box as a brooder for the chicks. I put a heat source such as a heat lamp usually more towards one end of the box. The chicks are more towards one side of the box because I unintentionally startled them. It's not showing up in the picture but I do have a hanging temperature probe to keep track of the temperature. Keep us posted.

 

[cmom]

Sometimes integration of mom and chicks will go well and other times it may not go so well. When the time comes you can try and see how it goes.

 

[cmom]

One of my bachelor coops and pens.

 

[RoosterML]

So tonight I put the 2 Roosters in with the girls. Previous owner told me the Black Orpington was boss. I beg to differ I did not see him mount a single hen. The Barred Lavender Oprington is the one mounting all the hens. It's pretty funny as the Lav mounts the hen the Black one comes running over and cheers him on. I laughed my arse off. So far all went well for the hour before they went into the coop and went to bed. I had to carry both Roosters into the main coop as they had no idea where they were going. Not one of them showed me any aggression. My original gangster hen got set in place when she tried standing up to the Lavender Roo.Now I'll have to go out early to keep an eye on them in the morning but as of now they have settled onto the roost granted I had to put both Roosters on the roost. So in short I think success. No major battles, no aggression towards me at all, and the roosters when put out together with the hens did not show each other aggression. Time to see what the morning brings.
I did want the Lavender to be boss, so with him doing the mounting is it safe to say he's boss? For now anyways.

 

[aart]

For now anyways.

Maybe.
You can always isolate the black one and let the lav have the flock.

 

[RoosterML]

T

Maybe.
You can always isolate the black one and let the lav have the flock.

I really have no desire to run separate pens. Besides if I isolated him I know for sure I would end up getting him his own girls.I think in the end I'll end up with 15-20 chooks I just wanted to stagger the ages alittle. Would in joy hatching a few of my own eggs in the spring. After seeing the barred lav out an about he really is a good looking boy.The picture doesn't do him justice. Who knew that having some chickens would be so addicting.

 

[aart]

So will you just isolate the black for a month when you want to breed the lav?