Date Night

[CalgaryFarmer]

Who here does date night? Well more like date afternoon. I got 13 chicks, 5 pullets and 8 cockralls. I keep them separate but let them roam around together once or twice a week for a couple of hours, letting them do .... well .... chicken stuff. They are almost 6 months old. Seems appropriate. The pullets that do not want to participate hide in the coop.

 

[Flock Master64]

All mine are kept in the same coop

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

Do you have a good proportion? Are you not worried the pullets will be subject to too much attention?

 

[Flock Master64]

1 cockerel 6 females

 

[Folly's place]

Calgary, you too need to cull down to one cockerel with your five pullets, or it won't be good. Or, get a lot more pullets, and maybe separate digs for two flocks, or keep your cockerels in a separate coop, at least until the fighting starts... Mary

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

They are in separate coops and runs. They are allowed to mingle for a couple of hours a week.

The cockralls are in a 4 by 8 coop and a 10 by 12 run.

I am hoping to keep 3 cockralls for mating.

 

[donrae]

Not here. I keep roosters with hens in breeding pens or flocks. Not sure I see the point of what you're doing? But if it works for you and especially your pullets, it's all good. Myself, I don't like feeding free loaders. Extra cockerels feed me instead

 

[aart]

Who here does date night? Well more like date afternoon. I got 13 chicks, 5 pullets and 8 cockralls. I keep them separate but let them roam around together once or twice a week for a couple of hours, letting them do .... well .... chicken stuff. They are almost 6 months old. Seems appropriate. The pullets that do not want to participate hide in the coop.

They are in separate coops and runs. They are allowed to mingle for a couple of hours a week.

The cockralls are in a 4 by 8 coop and a 10 by 12 run.

I am hoping to keep 3 cockralls for mating.

Hmmm...not sure what your goals for this activity are.....but.....
....could be interesting for observing behaviors.
......and it does keep the cockerels off the pullets full time.
....and it might help decide which cockerels to keep.

How old are the 'chicks' ...and do you know their gender yet??
I assume the 5 pullets and 8 cockerels are the 6 months old you cited?
Are the pullets laying?

Are the 3 groups kept in 3 separate coops...and do they all go back to those coops when it's time to roost after 'date night'?
What behaviors have you observed and what have you learn ed form them?
Are you new to chickens, is this your first flock?

I don't do 'date night'...have only kept one cockbird at a time....only have 2 potential coop areas, 1 is temporary that I use for chicks in the spring.
Had a cock and a cockerel the first year, once the cockerel was harassing the girls he got isolated until I got up the nerve to slaughter.
Since then all cockerels 'meet the noodles' between 13-16 weeks, I start IDing and banding them at 5-6 weeks.

 

[chickens really]

Sounds like you have a handle on your flock for now.....As @aart stated......I also only keep one Rooster/Cockerel at a time.....I have 11 Pullets with one Cockerel.....He is not hard on my Pullets......In time you may find that having so many Roosters, and I mean in the Spring once they mature....You will want to Cull some.........Hormones will be raging.......

By all means do as you please and see how it works out for you??


Cheers!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@aart I love your desire and interest to learn and see how different things work out!

Right now my balance of cockerels to pullets is way off since I am growing boys out to choose breeders and somehow there is ALWAYS more boys than girls.

This is my first year with boys. And I didn't realize how bad it would be when they all hit puberty at the same time. I have had 5 boys going after 1 girl and they try to beat her down and brutalize her. Mind you, I have lots of girls. But when they see this one from across the pasture they make a bee line for her. She must put off the victim vibe.

For right now, while we are frantically working to put up a stag pen, I go out and cock block in the morn and eve when it's most active. Even the slightly older cockerel who will knock a boy off of Princess Peach will turn right around and do the same thing to her. When the older one was learning his manners he took a chunk out of her comb which is healed now but I still know how it got there.

I have seen the changes when they actually start calling the ladies for treats and even take "no" for an answer. My current ratio is 7/33 boys. But not all of those girls are ready so they don't quite count. If I didn't have breeding/eating goals, I would consider not keeping boys at all. But I know the roosters will be much better than cockerels, and I won't be having to grow out a bunch of extras. So I will end up with 4 roos max to my 50 girls. And once my stag pen is in place... my girls will only have to deal with their well behaved rooster (or it's off to freezer camp). At least 3 out of the 7 cockerels are already on the menu for various reasons and it's just a matter of getting down to business. It will be our first slaughter and should have been done a month ago, but this is a learning process and we will get there!

3 cockerels is still a lot for 5 pullets. It's nice that you keep them separate and provide date night instead. It is probably less stressful for your girls that way. Mine can't even bend over to get a bite without being jumped on.