Breeding pens advice! Cockerels

[Homefarm993]

Morning all! Well it’s morning here in a very dull west cost of Scotland today!

I’ve always had a flock of 30 plus free ranging, mixed breeds, 3+cockerels that generally ok the whole got on well together, they were all housed together with the geese, ducks chickens. However we had a pine marten attack last winter and I lost 80% of my flock in a night! It’s taken me 6 months to get over it and a lot of convincing of my husband to start keeping again because I’d just lost the love of the stress of it all. I’ve always wanted to breed my chickens and help pay for the feed by selling the eggs. I used to do with my ducks as they were all one breed so pretty easy to do!

So my (probably really silly) question is, I’ve bought timer and galvanised mesh to make breeding pens. Have designed it out, it’s going to be 5 pens 3mtrs by 4mtr and 2 mtrs high. I was just going to put mesh between each of the pens but I’m not sure if I need to block the cockerels from seeing one another? Should I do have height of wood in between the pens so cockerels don’t get view of one another? Or will they be ok knowing they’re separate. I don’t want stressed out chickens fighting through the mesh.

Thanks for your help!

If you’ve read this far thank you

 

[Starrponies]

I would just block them. Most breeding pens have a visual block. That way they don't feel like they need to protect their girls. Might make for happier nicer roosters this way

 

[Ridgerunner]

Your mileage will vary on this. Once in nine years I had a cockerel and a mature rooster fighting through a fence like this. The other years it wasn't a problem. I think it boils down to the individual personalities of the roosters. You may have a serious problem your first year or you may be able to go years without a problem.

With a 2 meter height it would probably be fairly easy to add something if the need comes up, but it will probably be a bad time when you don't have the time to do it immediately.