here's a photo of a TRIO of my golds.the cage is 18X12 inches. Some are great in small #s others aren't.These 2 hens are treated with great respect by this particular roo and the girls like each other.
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Some people are even saying 8 is the minium amount of females!
I've not seen anyone here say that, it's always been minimum of 3 or max of 5 hens per male. Though you can keep more or less females, it just depends on the males and temperament of the group.
robo has always told me that, he says one of his roos would take on 8 for a minium
That's why you monitor behavior, right? Robo should know that. It all depends on the bird and trial and error. What works for some doesn't work for others.
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Those birds are to die for Mhwc56! Gorgeous. The white and black on the face. What do we call that marking? Incredibly pretty. If you ever auction please do let me know.
Excellent post and addressing a problem I have tossed over and over. Now I am building bigger hutches but letting those who have FINALLY worked it all out as to pair, trio of hens, two hens, 1 roo with 3 hens in 3' x2' cages and some in bigger or smaller aviary or rabbit cages. I am getting tired of the cage juggling act and want to have nice room to run pens off of the ground.
You read my mind with the original post. What does every one do to prevent this fighting and such? One wrong introduction in tight quarters, will not only set off the one cage, it upsets the whole quail house to a certain extent. Not quite to a lay strike, but I don't want to chance anything.
I do take them out for fresh air and sunshine. They think they are tuff stuff after a while out there (when no harm comes of them and they have the views of the broad yard their sand box, spinach pin up, laying baskets (everything short of a binky and blankie or stuffed animal...read SPOILED). Lil Queens.
Thanks for posting what you did. It received answers from some I really respect and I appreciate the info.
I need to do some design work for next fall. It seems I'm going to go bigger than I first planned. I want to make a wall unit of 6 pens to hold 3 quads each for a total of 72 breeders/layers and another wall unit to grow out in. I think I'm going to try to breed for a jumbo peid line that will throw asst color peids putting "A&M" roos over asst. Tux hens to start with and picking and choosing from there.