Can I mix roosters and hens only part of the year?

[chooki]

Currently I have 5 four months old cockerels and 5 pullets + hens. I intend to keep my cockerels in a bachelor pad and mix them with the hens only in summer season so I can get baby chicks.

Can this be done? I really don't want to cull any cockerels.

If so, what should I be looking out for?

 

[fluffycrow]

How many pullets and hens do you have? It can be done, but you'll need to be careful of them getting into a tussle every time you move them. Use only the best cockerels for breeding

 

[Ridgerunner]

Use only one boy, not several. Decide which one you want to be the father of your chicks.

I'd try to leave one in with the girls full time once they grow up. You can probably take one out of the bachelor pen and put him back in the bachelor pen when you have your fertile eggs but there is a chance that could lead to fighting. As long as the boy is mature he will probably be OK with the girls year around but putting him in when he is an immature cockerel is probably going to lead to some drama.

You could try to use different boys but if you do, only move one at a time. Never two or more with the girls. This could work or it could lead to fighting. That's why I prefer using only one and making it permanent.

 

[Mrs. K]

Last year, I had 8 cockerels and 1 flock rooster. I fully intended all along to replace my current flock rooster with a new cockerel...but none of them panned out. Just because you have roosters does not mean you have good roosters.

I agree with Ridge runner keep one in the flock 100% of the time, the rest in the bachelor pad. With the 8, I divided into 4 and 4 for the first cut. 4 went to the bachelor pad, and 4 stayed with the flock. Pulling out roosters changes the behavior of those left. I waited about 2 weeks and pulled out three more. Waited a while and didn't really like what I had, and culled again.

Do know that bachelor pads can work, for some flocks they work well, but sometimes they will work fine for a while, and then become a cockfighting arena. There just really no fool proof ways to keep cockerels and roosters. As in if you do this, set it up like that, you get perfect roosters. Sometimes it works, and a LOT OF TIME it doesn't.

Mrs K