Breeding 101?

[Seven Trees]

Not sure if this is the right area to post this, so please move as needed.

I'm new to BYC, not new to chickens, but I've never raised my own, always got hatchery chicks.
I got a nice-looking barred rock roo with this year's batch, and I'd like to pair him with a couple of my hens. What is the best way to go about it?

My set up right now is 2 coops, one smaller & one bigger, both with small runs that open into the barnyard when I let them free-range. I also have plenty of other spaces that could be turned into temporary pens if needed.

I have one flock of pullets and one flock of 16 month old hens - barred rock, buff orps, production reds, welsummers, delawares.

Do I just pick out my 2 best hens and have them shack up with the rooster until there is a nice clutch of eggs? Then chuck roo back into the barnyard and keep the moms to be penned away from everyone else?

Also, is it too late to start a batch? I'd love to get a jump on next year's laying flock by having point of lay pullets right when the days get longer next spring...

Thanks in advance!
Joanna

 

[ranchhand]

That's the right approach, but he may overbreed the 2 hens, leaving their backs injured. Better to give him at least 8-10 hens. The other thing you need is for a hen to go broody, which is unpredictable at best.

Good luck!

 

[wombat]

If you leave the roo in with the whole flock, but want to keep eggs from certain hens, do a search on "trap nesting."

A trap nest is a nest built to allow a chicken in to lay, but not let her out til you release her, so that you can confirm which eggs are from which hen. Of course, you need to be around to release hens if you are doing this.

 

[Seven Trees]

Sounds like trap nests are the way to go, since I want to pick which hens get to reproduce.

I have a buffy that goes broody easier than the rest, so that might work....

 

[popcornpuppy]

If you can pair up the hens you want to breed with the roo, any broody hen may hatch out the eggs, even if they are not the ones who laid the eggs. Then, everyone is happy. The roo gets the girls, the hens you chose lay the eggs and the broody hen gets to hatch.