First time rooster

[Drivernumber22]

First flock here, Soooo I'm pretty sure one of my RIR is going to be a roo...just has a lot of signs. Hes about 6 weeks now. Anyway hes pretty cool (Bojangles is his name) so I'd like to keep him. I've got about 3 hens in my flock so far.

Questions I have. How should I keep him when he gets older? Can he roost with the hens in the coop? How do I get him to quit breeding? Is this even going to be an issue? Make him his own space? Should I get more hens (beacuse I ended up scoring one helluva of a deal and on a larger than I needed coop so I could do this, but since is my first flock I didn't want get more yet)?

 

[Drivernumber22]

Yeah and also when I do want to start breeding, is going to be an issue genetic wise if hes breeding with his sister?

 

[piper123]

You can't really make him stop breeding but you can keep him separate from the girls. I would not hatch chicks that are his sister's...May or may not be an issue but it's risky. The chicks could have deformities or health problems. I don't think him breeding the girls would be an issue unless, of course, you wanted to hatch the chicks.

 

[pound4pound]

might as well consider other hens from other breeds like australorp and new hampshire could basically make the cross interesting or freedom ranger hens could basically provide you a more multi-colored variety.

if you keep the eggs for table thats ok.

inbreeding starts the defective genes could come out and passed on.

roosters as long as they're top of the pecking order can breed as long as their health allows them.

 

[Den in Penn]

He can sleep with the girls, he's part of the flock after all. Yes separation is the only way to stop the hens breeding with him. The only reason I see to separate them is if he is wearing them out, with the limited number on hens, he may well do that. Do you know they are siblings? There is generally no problems with siblings mating, isn't usually done. Breeders do often breed parent to offspring. So unless you know there is a genetic defect don't worry. (If you do know he has a defect, why let him breed period?) As to getting more hens, it would spread out the wear and tear, however there is usually one who shows the signs of being the favorite. If you wait till next year for more hens you will spread out their ages and even out egg production as hens slow down laying as he get older. The when to get more is a management decision.

 

[donrae]

A rooster's job is to breed the hens. You can't stop him unless you separate him, and in that case why would you keep him? He'd be miserable alone.

With most things with animals, you'll just have to try it and see how it goes. He may be fine with that many hens or he may run them ragged. You won't know until it happens, one way or the other.

I've bred siblings in a backyard setting and not had any issues. As Denn said, if there's an issue in either bird, they shouldn't be bred, anyway, to sibling or not.