Bachelor pad in view or not?

[Doublete]

I have a few options to separate my boys out to let them grow up while I make decisions on who stays and who goes into the freezer... they’re oldest at 8 weeks right now...
do I allow them view of the main coop and thus the girls and flock? Or do I move them out of sight and let them grow up without hormonal influence?
I think there’s going to end up being quiet a few in my freezer... but I’d like to keep the ones that are the best in temperament as well as breed

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It can work either way.

My bachelor pad is in view... There are usually a couple who will court the ladies at the fence (direct contact), let the ladies clean their faces and such. Most go about their foraging business in their pasture, maturing at different rates. Flock antics usually dictate who goes first more than size, and sometimes even faults. Selecting for attitude is SOOO key.

A good head rooster is worth his weight in gold in a bachelor pad. This takes time for them to reach full maturity. Since I am growing out my boys to select for breeding they all get to mature in the bachelor side before getting access to the ladies. It usually helps slow them down a bit and gain some manners.

I can even swap different fellas out for breeding... as long as I do so for only about a day at a time, returning the desired stag after dark to wake up with his own flock as usual. A single day missing has not caused pecking order upset, yet.

When I have stags on both sides of the fence is the only time being "in view" is an issue... A well placed E wire remedies that quickly! Roosters will fence fight and no one wins while both usually walk away injured. Separated fences, usually maintains crow offs as the form of competition.

Congrats and good luck on your adventure!

 

[Doublete]

It can work either way.

My bachelor pad is in view... There are usually a couple who will court the ladies at the fence (direct contact), let the ladies clean their faces and such. Most go about their foraging business in their pasture, maturing at different rates. Flock antics usually dictate who goes first more than size, and sometimes even faults. Selecting for attitude is SOOO key.

A good head rooster is worth his weight in gold in a bachelor pad. This takes time for them to reach full maturity. Since I am growing out my boys to select for breeding they all get to mature in the bachelor side before getting access to the ladies. It usually helps slow them down a bit and gain some manners.

I can even swap different fellas out for breeding... as long as I do so for only about a day at a time, returning the desired stag after dark to wake up with his own flock as usual. A single day missing has not caused pecking order upset, yet.

When I have stags on both sides of the fence is the only time being "in view" is an issue... A well placed E wire remedies that quickly! Roosters will fence fight and no one wins while both usually walk away injured. Separated fences, usually maintains crow offs as the form of competition.

Congrats and good luck on your adventure!

This is my thought and plan... allowing breeding when I remove the desired set to a different area for a few hours to half a day and the “boys” will return to life together...

The biggest area I have for my bachelor pad is not in view or touching... if I do a smaller one they would be in view but not touching...
if I give them half of my run and extend out the back (very easily done) then they would be touching when the girls are out in the run...

 

[Doublete]

Ok I think I’m going to place it in view, but not where they can actually touch... I have to measure but I can use my existing horse fence and build the coop 6x8 or 6x10 and attach a run of 6x30 or 40...