3 different breeds

[jones-e]

say if i had 3 different breeds 6 hens of each and 3 roos of each living in the same coop which is about 12ft by 12ft and they free range with each other would the roos stay with their own or would they try to mate with the others or should i just keep them all seperate from each other?thanks in advance!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

They will not behave. It will be anything goes. Plus there might be fighting among the roos. I would separate, if pure breeds are what you are after.

 

[Heidi]

Yes, I would agree w/ rhoda_bruce and separate. My roosters still try to get at each other thru the fencing sometimes.

 

[mypicklebird]

I think you are serious, they are all the same species, they can and will breed freely. Think of this like dogs or cats- if you have pomeranians and poodles together- they will not stay with their own- they are still all dogs.

if you want them separate to keep the roosters from squabbling or to get breed pure eggs to hatch- then you need to separate them. 12x12 feet for 20 birds? is this just their indoor sleeping quarters, or their entire area? If this is their entire area- this is too small. By the book (ie commercial standard)- they need 3square feet per bird, which you definitely have- but 3 roosters in the mix changes everything- likely they will fight and injure each other (or kill). Also 20 birds will turn this into a dirt/mud pit rapidly. 4-6 hens and a single rooster in a 12x12 pen sounds better to me- especially if they can get some free ranging in the garden/grass ect for a few hours a day on top of their 12x12 pen.


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[jones-e]

thanks for the quick response.thats what i will probably do then is seperate them.what about 2 pure breeds(hens) and 1 pure breed roo?

 

[mypicklebird]

The rooster will try to mate with both (or any hens you have in there). Example: If you have a Marans rooster, Marans hens, Leghorn hens, and Ameraucana hens- you can hatch the Marans eggs and get pure Marans chicks. The eggs from the Leghorns and Ameraucana hens will hatch out mixes. You can tell the eggs apart by color.


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