Breeding Pens

[MandaE2015]

I am starting a breeding program with 4 different breeds. We are currently setting up our breeding pens. My question is, do you keep your breeds in the breeding pens year round, or do you separate the roos at points to rest the hens? I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want to do this and that question has me stumped.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Depends on how you want to do it. I normally keep my groups all together year round. But when you gave like 15 males, it's easier and less time consuming to house the males separately and keep the females all in one pen. Then you set up conjugal visits and collect eggs.

 

[MandaE2015]

Depends on how you want to do it. I normally keep my groups all together year round. But when you gave like 15 males, it's easier and less time consuming to house the males separately and keep the females all in one pen. Then you set up conjugal visits and collect eggs.

That makes sense and was kind of what I was thinking. So I'm thinking I'll set up a bachelor pen apart from my breeding pens. I also have different roos that I'll want to alternate in from time to time. Some of my roos co-exist nicely. Others are less accepting of the competition.

 

[Araucana Nest]

In my experience - which is limited with multiple breeding pens- the hens don’t appreciate their Roo being taken away. It becomes sort of a family group and when you break that up there could be consequences. Hence I leave my groups together if at all possible. The thing that allows that is that my Roos are chosen to be specifically good to the hens. Some don’t care for me but as long as they are good with the flock, they stay together. I have one Cream Legbar that may have been traumatized when I removed her Roo from my breeding plans. She was given time off and placed with the son of the Roo she’d been with- along with another hen from the same pen- and she has completely changed personality and lost weight. She is very shy now. The second Roo is no longer part of my breeding plans either. I’ve entirely shifted away from Cream Legbars. This hen is the only hen I have from one specific line. So to recap… I don’t remove roosters unless absolutely necessary. I also have very different ideas of my chickens and projects and understand my reply may be a minority opinion. Chickens do bond to each other.

 

[MandaE2015]

In my experience - which is limited with multiple breeding pens- the hens don’t appreciate their Roo being taken away. It becomes sort of a family group and when you break that up there could be consequences. Hence I leave my groups together if at all possible. The thing that allows that is that my Roos are chosen to be specifically good to the hens. Some don’t care for me but as long as they are good with the flock, they stay together. I have one Cream Legbar that may have been traumatized when I removed her Roo from my breeding plans. She was given time off and placed with the son of the Roo she’d been with- along with another hen from the same pen- and she has completely changed personality and lost weight. She is very shy now. The second Roo is no longer part of my breeding plans either. I’ve entirely shifted away from Cream Legbars. This hen is the only hen I have from one specific line. So to recap… I don’t remove roosters unless absolutely necessary. I also have very different ideas of my chickens and projects and understand my reply may be a minority opinion. Chickens do bond to each other.

How many hens do you keep per roo? I agree - there are definitely some that I see as bonded. I'm ok with keeping them together as long as the roo isn't over breeding the hens. I'm very fortunate in that all of my roos are very gentle with their ladies and just good boys in general. Right now, they're all free ranging together and the boys all get along, as well.

 

[ColtHandorf]

How many hens do you keep per roo?

That just depends. My English Orpingtons can't seem to cover more than five or six hens or fertility suffers. They generally tolerate multiples and aren't bad about over-breeding, so my goal is to have 12 hens and three males in each of the big breed pens and one male to four hens in the colors I just want because I want to look at them.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I personally try to keep pairs to quads or quints for my specific breeds. Obviously that sometimes doesn't work out and I add more hens either of the same breed or something that lays a different egg/has obvious differences as a chick.

My two mixed flock (including a flock of pheonixes plus 3 other hens) are bigger. Around 12 birds or so, with 2 males in each at all times at least. Sometimes 3, always at least 3 when I have broodies hatching

 

[Araucana Nest]

I agree with the above on the answer being relative to the breed, the individual Roo, the hens and the situation. My pens range from 1:1 (those being place holders for exceptional Roos I can’t use right now) to 1:9. My bigger problem with fertility has been spoiled hens who don’t like their options.
The couple in the photo have been on a honeymoon since they were put together. She beats all the other hens up.

 

[Wanderers tales]

I am starting a breeding program with 4 different breeds. We are currently setting up our breeding pens. My question is, do you keep your breeds in the breeding pens year round, or do you separate the roos at points to rest the hens? I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want to do this and that question has me stumped.

Greetings you could say I’m very experienced at this subject. But my reply is not for this specific question.
So here’s one advice I give to everyone who’s into poultry especially chickens.
ALWAYS ALWAYS AVOID ANY SORT OF INBREEDING. Always buy a specific sex from a breeder. Then buy the opposite from another breeder. An outbred flock will usually be more resilient and some will exhibit reliable mutations like gigantism and a superior immune system and high fertility. The only side effects include “heightened aggression” from my experience outbred flock members will usually be more territorial and predatory even if they belong to a usually docile and gentle breed. However I believe that the risks are worth the reward. Personally I do my best to avoid any sort of inbreeding for my flocks wether it’s close or distant I still avoid it. The process can be a bit more costly and tiring but the reward is worth it. I only inbreed certain specimens when they show a very rare mutation like the 12 toe polydactyl mutation which ironically I never had to resort to inbreeding my specimens to invent the Kurdish polydactyl “the first and only breed with 12 toes” but I do intend to resort to inbreeding my horned shamos due to a lack of specimens.

as for your question I personally use two methods for their breeding pens. The first is that I sometimes keep some of the Roos in a smaller pen separately depending on their behavior and temperament. The second is that I have very large pens more like enclosures where I just let them all roam around. So it really depends on the details regarding your question.