Dividing into 4 flocks

[Cycomiko]

I have 4 roosters! I really don't want to have 2 roosters in any flock, and can provide separate living situations for all 4 roosters, and would like to divide by being able to make sex-links, true breeds, and some colorful eggs. This is what I'm thinking, chime in with any audibles you suggest. This chicken stuff is non-stop learning.

#1 Grey - Easter Egger. at 9 wks I love how he makes sure the flock eats, and has been crowing for a week. My first rooster was an Easter Egger, and I re-homed him, and totally regretted it. It was more of a decision of the fear he put in my 10 yr old boy and awesome wife. I want him to be in charge of my biggest flock, which I'd like to be at 12 or so. He has demonstrated that he is the alpha, and the Buff Orpington and Speckled Sussex roosters seem more like hens at his age.

- 7 Easter Eggers (1 is 1 yr old)
- 1 White Leghorn (1 yr old)
- 4 Isa Browns (1 yr old)

#2 Poe - Olive Egger

My question, is he considered a solid color for breeding sex-links? If so, I'd put the Plymouth Rocks and Light Sussex with him, and move the Marshmallows. He is of F2 decent of Black Copper Maran and true Americauna. The one I kept of 3 in a hatch of seven. Not the most magnificent, but the least crazy at 12 weeks, now 4 months. He is protective, and is, so far, a good guy. He has lived with the 4 Olive Eggers since the incubator.

- 4 F2 and F3 Olive Eggers
- 3 or 4 Easter Eggers ( 5 wks, one is unclear of sex), we call the Marshmallows, hatched from an EE and WL. All white.

Speckled Sussex - Mr. Roo. A gentlemen. I've held him more times than I care to mention. He's wild and jumps to horrible spots, where I rescue him. I'm picking these because they are so alike, and hang out together.

- 3 Speckled Sussex
- 2 Welsummers

Buff Orpington - Biff. I like him, but I know he'll be a pushover. At 9 wks, he's getting pushed by the Plymouth Rocks, of the same age. I hope he gets some..., testosterone. Unless Poe is a solid color option for sex-links, this is my guy for that.

- 2 Buff Orpingtons
- 1 White Brahma
- 2 Plymouth Rock
-4 Rhode Island Reds

To save some comment or questions...

-We are keeping a distant, yet Alpha approach to Grey, the New Easter Egger
- The EE, SS, and BO roosters were supposed to be hens, but grew on us
- Pic of Poe is to ask of solid color sex-link. Rather have him as the sex link father.
- Want the EE to be in charge of the most free ranging flock, EE's seem to be more alert.
- All are between 2 and 4 months, except for the 4 IB, 1 WL, and 1 EE.
- I sleep during day, if it doesn't make sense, it's due to sleep deprivation.

 

[centrarchid]

Focus and simplify. Too much going on. Dividing flocks doable but requires acreage and multiple roost sites. If space tight, then you may be able to rotate which groups are out on a given day. I have ran as many as four flocks on on about 6 acres but was more than simply having roosts and acreage.

At least some of your birds are immature so logic not there for me on your current efforts.

 

[Cycomiko]

Focus and simplify. Too much going on. Dividing flocks doable but requires acreage and multiple roost sites. If space tight, then you may be able to rotate which groups are out on a given day. I have ran as many as four flocks on on about 6 acres but was more than simply having roosts and acreage.

At least some of your birds are immature so logic not there for me on your current efforts.

I've been giving that thought as well. Both keeping them together and also separated, with enough run space to keep peace, with alternating access to a larger area. I cannot totally free range. Hawks and Black Vultures are constantly eyeing my flock, but I hung lines to insure they can't escape quickly.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One huge problem you have trying to make sex links is that the rooster has to be pure for the traits you need for that type of sex link. To make a red sex link the rooster has to be pure for gold and he has to have the genetics so you can see the difference between yellow and red feathers. To make a black sex link the rooster has to not have any barring and he has to have the color genetics so you can see the spot.

EE's are by nature mixes. They are often not pure for genetics. Saying a bird is an Ameraucana tells me nothing about the genetics, assuming it is a true Ameraucana. There are 8 recognized color/patterns of Ameraucana. Which one of those 8 you are using makes a world of difference.

Poe appears to be a mix of Black Copper Marans as you mentioned and probably some red or reddish Ameraucana. So he is probably split for base color (Birchen plus something else). So half his chicks should inherit the Birchen but half will inherit something else. It is impossible to say if he will make red sex links or black sex links where you could consistently see the spot especially if you don't know what the BCM is mixed with.


Your Speckled Sussex or Buff Orp roos should give you black sex links over the Barred Rock hens and should give you red sex links over the White Brahma. The rest won't work or are too mixed up to tell.

I agree with Centrarch. You are making it too complicated. Gain some experience first.

 

[Cycomiko]

One huge problem you have trying to make sex links is that the rooster has to be pure for the traits you need for that type of sex link. To make a red sex link the rooster has to be pure for gold and he has to have the genetics so you can see the difference between yellow and red feathers. To make a black sex link the rooster has to not have any barring and he has to have the color genetics so you can see the spot.

Wasn't too worried about Poe making sex-linked offspring, but I thought it'd be cool to have olive egg sex-links. He is either 2 or 3 parts BCM to 1 part true Americauna. Two other pullets from the same breeder of F2 and F3 eggs hatched out reddish (pic below). As for the Easter Egger mix, I totally get the point.

Your Speckled Sussex or Buff Orp roos should give you black sex links over the Barred Rock hens and should give you red sex links over the White Brahma. The rest won't work or are too mixed up to tell.

I never gave the Speckled Sussex a thought as being a candidate for sex-links. It didn't take long for them to become my favorite breed, but I don't think I could handle multiplying their genes to the point I'd be suffocated by there curiosity. The 1 cockerel and 3 pullets I have already jump all over me at feeding time. Took a bucket of fermented feed out the other day, and one jumped into the bucket, and splashed the fermented feed and water all over me.

Do you think at 4 roosters to 32 hens would be overkill? I would love to keep them all together. My sorting had more to do with that that breeding. My old coop could house future breedings, and broody hens. They have more than the upper recommended space, both in coop and the run. Places to hide, and things to do as well. I never planned on the EE, SS or BO cockerel, but my wife and boy fell in love with them, and I caved on the basis that as long as they are not human aggressive, and treat the hens well, they will live here.

Two reasons I want to do sex-linked chickens
#1 sustainability
#2 root out the roosters before they grow on me.

Thank you @centrarchid and @Ridgerunner for you're thoughts and input.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't get the sex links as sustainable. To make sex links the male has to be pure for the recessive version of the sex link gene (both genes at that gene pair are recessive) and the hen's one gene at that location has to be dominant. When you make sex links the genes get all mixed up and you cannot use them for the next generation. One generation is not the model for sustainability.

I do get your desire to root out the males early. A friend called me ruthless for my way to weed then out, I grow them to eat. So I thanked her and she laughed. But that is a big factor in hatching, you have to have a plan for all the chicks you hatch, male as well as female.

As far as the ratio of hens to roosters, you will get all kinds of opinions on that. Some will insist if you don't have certain ratios you will have an absolute disaster. 10 to 1 is a popular ratio but I've seen others given. I regularly keep one rooster with between six to eight hens and do not have any problems with barebacked hens, over-mated hens, or abused hens. Part of that may come back to that ruthless thing. When I started my flock here I had one rooster and eight hens. Two hens became barebacked so I ate them. Not only did the barebacked problem go away when I changed my ratio down to 6 to 1, future generations did not have any barebacked hens. Sometimes it is the rooster's fault but sometimes it is the hen's. Sometimes it is genetics.

There is a big difference in cockerels and pullets versus roosters and hens. It is pretty likely things will get really wild down there with several cockerels and pullets until they mature into roosters and hens. That's when a lot of people form their opinions on rooster-hen interactions, they base it on adolescent behaviors.

Another big factor is how much room you have. If you follow that 4 and 10 square feet per bird rule you often see on here with multiple roosters it is very possible you will have problems. To be able to pull this off with a high chance of success you need enough room for them to get way away from each other. I generally recommend that you keep as few roosters as you can and meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed to have problems with more roosters, just that problems are more likely.

You can try keeping them all either penned in separate flocks or try to let them all mingle. It might work out. But that might also be what it takes for you, your wife, and your kids to realize it's not that sustainable a model for what you want to do. We all have different circumstances.