Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[capayvalleychick]

This is bad news, but important to know. I use electronet exclusively. I'm hoping that separated cocks will stay separated if they have their own hens. I hatch with broodies, in the flock. That has been working good. I like the chicks growing up with the flock and learning about hawks and other things. Next year I would like to separate the cockerels to assist with evaluation and to restrict their range somehwhat and try to fatten them up. Do you think 16-24 month old cockerels will stay inside 42 inch electronet if they see/hear the pullets 3-400 hundred feet away?

I can't answer the question about the electronet because every time that I've tried it, either a steer gets tangled in it or the bull knocks it down!

In regard to hawks, I have been very lucky. There are hawks overhead every day and a redtail roosts on a power pole next to the pastures. Yet, Ive only had 2 losses to hawks in 14 years. My pastures are completely open and I learned that the hawks will leave mature sized chickens alone, but will kill youngsters if they are out on pasture. That's why I start the little ones out on the lawn, next to the house, where there are trees & bushes for cover. Chicks on pasture here are chicken nuggets for the hawks. Even with the mobile coop to hide under.

 

[bnjrob]

There you go! Breeders are not free rangers, unless you have the property and the facilities to have a separate breeding compound that provides stock for your main flock. Do you reintroduce at night? I have heard that if a cock wakes up with a new cock on the same roost, that they are less likely to have a conflict. I always handle my chickes at night, because it is the only way I can do it, but I'm skeptical of the waking up on the roost technique.

The only time that putting new ones in at night has worked for me was with females. It didn't totally negate any squabbling in the morning, but it helped decrease it. With males at about 4 months of age and older - didn't work at all. With the exception of two pens that each hold a pair of brothers that have not been with females since they were chicks - none of our males will live peaceably with another male. Not even in bachelor quarters. I quit trying it after several attempts and finding what looked like the TX Chainsaw Massacre in the pens when trying to get males to live together. That's something else I need to work on this year, getting more single male housing built so the lone cocks are not taking up my good pens that are built to house a larger number of birds.

 

[finnfur]

This is bad news, but important to know. I use electronet exclusively. I'm hoping that separated cocks will stay separated if they have their own hens. I hatch with broodies, in the flock. That has been working good. I like the chicks growing up with the flock and learning about hawks and other things. Next year I would like to separate the cockerels to assist with evaluation and to restrict their range somehwhat and try to fatten them up. Do you think 16-24 month old cockerels will stay inside 42 inch electronet if they see/hear the pullets 3-400 hundred feet away?

Previous year I had one big round on Enet and when I wanted to separate the cockerels from the hens I just used a piece of Enet to divide it [ non electrified ]
One wing clipped. Never had a escape . The cockerels would prance up and down the fence and strut but no problems. Until. We took the old cock and put him in with the cockerels because the old hens backs were getting bald.- everything was all right first day as I think the old cock had established himself. Next day went to feed them and there was a white
something down in the far corner. When I walked down there the most dominant cockerel was wedged in the corner of the net with blood all over comb ad waddles and stained in blood. They were flighty but I could walk right down and pick him up. He was ready for relief. So we moved him to a chicken tractor for the duration of his life. The Old Cock "Bob" was not bloody but for the rest of his days he could never stand completely straight- kept his neck slightly down.
Even in that conditioned Old Bob never got another challenge from the rest of the cockerels. He was a tough ol bird. But he still stewed up well.

 

[lyndon]

Here's how I would do it, starting with a young trio:

Year One:
Pen A - Cockerel, Pullet
Pen B - Pullet

Year Two:
Pen A - Cockerel from Pen A, Hen from Pen A
Pen B- Cock from Pen A, Hen from Pen B, Pullet(s) from Pen A to fill

Year Three:
Pen A- Cockerel from Pen A, Hen from Pen A, Pullet(s) from Pen B to fill
Pen B- Yr 2 Cock from Pen A, Original Hen from Pen B, Pullet(s) from pen A to fill
Pen C- Original Cock from Pen A, Pullets from A&B

Year 4- 
Pen A- Cockerel from C, Pullets from A 
Pen B- Cockerel from A, Pullets from B
Pen C- Cock from yr 2 pen A, Pullets from C
Pen D- Original Cock from A or Cockerel from Pen C, Pullets from A&B (C only if not using cockerel)

At that point I would relabel everyone with proper pen "clan" bands (All birds in Pen are now Clan A,B,C, or D based on where they currently are) and begin my rotation.

That branch out keeps maximum distance between birds for genetic separation, and avoids brother/sister matings.  Remember when making pairings to not double up weaknesses, complimentary breeding as much as you possibly can.  When branching out like this, use your original birds as long as you can.

I would encourage you if you're going to go to this method from a trio, it is very very important that the original male be of superb quality.  It is easier, and possibly better from a preservation standpoint to start from 2 pair. Or a trio and a Pair if you can.

Another plan that would work would be:

Year One:
Pen A- Cockerel, Pullet
Pen B- Pullet

Year Two:
Pen A- Cockerel from A, Hen from A
Pen B- Cock from A, Hen from B

Year Three:
Pen A- Original Cock from A (or Cockerel from B), Hens and Pullets from A
Pen B- Cock from A yr 2, Hen and Pullets from B
Pen C- Cockerel from A, Pullets from B
Pen D- Cockerel from B, Pullets from A

Year Four:
Relabel and begin rotation

This is great, Matt. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Lacy Blues]

The only time that putting new ones in at night has worked for me was with females. It didn't totally negate any squabbling in the morning, but it helped decrease it. With males at about 4 months of age and older - didn't work at all. With the exception of two pens that each hold a pair of brothers that have not been with females since they were chicks - none of our males will live peaceably with another male. Not even in bachelor quarters. I quit trying it after several attempts and finding what looked like the TX Chainsaw Massacre in the pens when trying to get males to live together. That's something else I need to work on this year, getting more single male housing built so the lone cocks are not taking up my good pens that are built to house a larger number of birds.

I have lost at least one adult bird to a red tailed hawk one year. That was before I moved to this desert but there were plenty of jack rabbits and other things for this hawk to eat but it decided it wanted my big ole' black sex-linked hen. She was a big girl too! Went down one afternoon and found him standing over her. He hadn't gotten much of her into his crop and I made certain he didn't get any more of her either.

 

[gjensen]

Reintroducing cock birds would not work for me, no matter how I re introduced them. In fact, after a certain age their is too much squabbling for my tastes.

I find it easier to house them separately and individually.

I prefer to grow out the cockerels together where they cannot see the pullets.

I prefer the cock birds to be able to see the hens or pullets.

I let the males out alternately, and allow them to get some exercise etc..

I am moving towards keeping the cock birds on grass all of the time. Probably in 4' x 8' mobile pens. The stationary houses that I have now would could be used to finish growing the cockerels out.

 

[southernmomma]

I'm glad this thread is active again. The conversation about males/housing/separation is great!

M

 

[chickadoodles]

I guess being a newbie and not knowing what to do with my cockerels I just made a rooster run and have part of the hens coop separated by wire so the hens have one side and the cocks have the other. The rooster run is divided but next to the hen run. I have abt. 30+ cockerels and cocks in the run together they argue now and then but mostly get along. When I added another cock last year I put him in the coop with the hens with another cock, in the morning they had to settle who was top cock there was no blood and it was settled shortly. When ever I add new pullets or cockerels to the runs I have to put them in the coop or my birds will not accept them for some reason.

 

[Arielle]

I'm glad this thread is active again. The conversation about males/housing/separation is great!

M

lol-- this thread runs in spurts of really good stuff.

 

[Beekissed]

There you go! Breeders are not free rangers, unless you have the property and the facilities to have a separate breeding compound that provides stock for your main flock. Do you reintroduce at night? I have heard that if a cock wakes up with a new cock on the same roost, that they are less likely to have a conflict. I always handle my chickes at night, because it is the only way I can do it, but I'm skeptical of the waking up on the roost technique.

Really? Breeders can't be free rangers? Well, that knocks me out of the game, then, because we'll never be penning up birds around here for any length of time...maybe a broody, or a breeding scenario, or to give the girls a break from a rooster, but there will always be free ranging done with the flock.

Shoot! Here I was thinking I could breed chickens out on free range......