Breeding pen question

[megshenhut]

I have one main coop with all my chickens in it. I have about 50 hens and 4 roos. The roos have their order and there isn't much bickering between them. This spring I would like to do a separate breeding pen for a couple months. Here in the mountains, our winters are really long and cold and I would need to put the breeding chickens back with the other birds for the winter. After having my breeding chickens away from the rest of the main flock for a few months, would I be setting myself for huge battles between the two sets of birds when I put them back together, especially my roos? I can't afford to do a whole other coop and keep them separate forever. For the past several years, I've raised babies and integrated them into the main flock without much problem, but I'm wondering if older adult birds would be more of a big deal when they all go back together? Does anyone out there have experience with this issue?

 

[Buckguy20]

It has a lot to do with the breed, age and the individual roosters. It won't be a problem for the the hens but could be for the roosters. I have had mixed results. Sometimes it works and other times not.
Monty

 

[rooster-red]

I attached the run fencing for my breeder pen to the main run so that they can see each other.

I think this will lesson reintegration problems.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The other option some people have done, is to subdivide their main coop. They built wire walls inside, to make a breeding coop area and added a pop hole that went to a separate pen outside. They would still have the advantage of all of the body heat in one coop, in the winter. Plus it's still pretty handy to do chores, with them all in one spot.

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
That would be a good thing to consider if you are going to breed in winter.

I only breed in spring with my setup, so body heat isn't a problem.

 

[megshenhut]

Thanks for the input. I will have to decide what I'm going to do. I do have a separate "baby" pen in the main coop but right now it doesn't have an outside separate pen.