breeding pens?

[Gonzo]

Ok, I have a few different breeds, I would like to be able to breed them... how does the whole breeding pen work? Right now everyone, including my 4 roosters, all live together, if I try doing a breeding pen, will I be able to put the rooster I bred back into the flock? I would just like to not have to have a bunch of seperate coops in my backyard.

could I put the hens I want to breed in the breeding pen for a few weeks, then put the rooster in for a couple of days? Would that work? Would the others roos let him come back?

 

[asher]

IMO, any time you take birds out and put them back in, there is going to be a pecking order so they will fight. Hopefully not to the death, but it just depends on your breeds and birds. If you have a bunch of different breeds, the only way to have breeding pens is to have a bunch of different pens.

Keep in mind that you have to have the hens separated from any other roos for a while in order for their eggs to be pure as well. If you are going to have the hens in a seperate pen, why not just keep the roo in with them indefinitely?

 

[Gonzo]

I was hoping I'd get lucky enough to rotate them... IDK, I have my white and buff orps I want to breed, as well as my standard cochins..

 

[Chic Chick]

You will need to separate them somehow otherwise you will have a good mixture of mutts.
What you need is at least one pen for the roosters only, and have all your girls in another pen. Then have a breeding pen that you can toss one breed at a time into. The roos will usually try to breed all the hens as soon as possible so it would probably do it's job in one day. Put them back with the others over night and the next day put another breed into the breeding pen.....keep rotating the breeds in the conjugal pen and they should all be fertilized by the proper roos only.
There shouldn't be any disruption with the pecking order since they aren't gone long enough.

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:

Great Idea! I think the girls will like having the boys outta their coop too!