Breeding flock management

[happyhllfarm]

I have had chickens a few years but this is the first time I am trying breeding. Currently, I am keeping one rooster with 5+ hens and keeping the breeds separate. They take turns free ranging on different days. Is it possible to keep all hens together and only put them in with the chosen rooster when its time to breed? I figure as I have it now, all breeds separate, when I see a broody hen I will move her to a separate brooding coup. What works best? Thanks for any help.

 

[Rickba]

You can free range all the hens together as long as the rooster does not have access to any hens you don't want to mix it with. My hens know where they live and go home at night without any issues.

 

[lazy gardener]

Clarify: You have only one roo? And only 5 hens? Or are you saying you have multiple breeds and have 1 roo of each breed per 5+ hens of each breed?

 

[happyhllfarm]

Yes - multiple breeds and have 1 roo of each breed per 5+ hens of each breed.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You can mix the hens, but you cannot mix the hens and roosters if you want to keep the breeds. The boys will have to remain penned either together or in the separate breeding pens with access only to their breed of gals.

A hen remains fertile after 1 mating anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. Most breeders wait 30 days before putting a rooster over a hen who has been accessible to another rooster to make sure the right bird is fertilizing her.

LofMc

 

[lazy gardener]

What Lof Mc said. But, I would keep a bachelor pen with all of the roos in it, and keep all of the hens together in a separate pen. When it's time to breed, I'd set up breeding pens for each breed. A lot depends on your set up and your options to tailor your set up to make breeding pens.

 

[happyhllfarm]

I have a coop with small run set up for nesting and raising chicks and chicken tractors. I will move all roos together and hens together(probably in two chicken tractors) then when they are ready to breed ill move the chosen to the coop. Thanks for the advice.