Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

It's nice to see him again. I'm so tempted to put the bird feeders back out. I miss all of my song birds badly. It's just too quiet around here.

Lots of chickadees called today, they r starting to establish their territories for the up coming breeding Season. Really nice to hear them

 

[featherhead007]

That’s what I meant by keeping an open mind!

I keep an open mind too:

 

[ChicoryBlue]

after 1 or two weeks they will be free ranging again. I need them in there to breed and so I know what breeds i get
the pullets would be on a 20-acer free range
so do you think this would work?

Hope you have a gentleman for a rooster. You might benefit from reading any of @Shadrach 's articles, he is very knowledgeable on hen/rooster/flock dynamics. Hens invite a roosters attentions and a good rooster respects the hens.

Being a hen locked up with nowhere to run, trapped with a potentially rough, and relentless rooster in 5 and 10 square feet, a rooster who has no manners or training by an experienced older rooster, sounds like a nightmare for the poor hens. Be careful who you put in there together.

Sorry but unless I am mistaken or off-base this sounds like a plan you have to raise and sell chickens in an ongoing breeding program, correct? Can you put the hens and a rooster that you want to breed into a large proper run and coop of their own? Long term, that is a more healthy and humane way of going about it and the way I've seen breeders do it here on BYC.

You might concentrate on a certain breed for your entire flock and sidestep the whole separation issue. Also look at @RebeccaBoyd 's posts here or ask her advice, she breeds chickens and sells chicks in a free-range situation.

 

[featherhead007]

It's nice to see him again. I'm so tempted to put the bird feeders back out. I miss all of my song birds badly. It's just too quiet around here.

🌪 here’s some noise making items. (I’m only trying to help)

 

[RoyalChick]

Hope you have a gentleman for a rooster. You might benefit from reading any of @Shadrach 's articles, he is very knowledgeable on hen/rooster/flock dynamics. Hens invite a roosters attentions and a good rooster respects the hens.

Being a hen locked up with nowhere to run, trapped with a potentially rough, and relentless rooster in 5 and 10 square feet, a rooster who has no manners or training by an experienced older rooster, sounds like a nightmare for the poor hens. Be careful who you put in there together.

Sorry but unless I am mistaken or off-base this sounds like a plan you have to raise and sell chickens in an ongoing breeding program, correct? Can you put the hens and a rooster that you want to breed into a large proper run and coop of their own? Long term, that is a more healthy and humane way of going about it and the way I've seen breeders do it here on BYC.

You might concentrate on a certain breed for your entire flock and sidestep the whole separation issue. Also look at @RebeccaBoyd 's posts here or ask her advice, she breeds chickens and sells chicks in a free-range situation.

I too have no experience beyond what I have learned from @Shadrach and @RebeccaBoyd, what you say here sounds right to me.

 

[RoyalChick]

🌪 here’s some noise making items. (I’m only trying to help)

You forgot
To be deployed to deter the hawk.

 

[featherhead007]

You forgot
To be deployed to deter the hawk.

Sorry

 

[featherhead007]

Simple mathematics HAWK + ? = ?

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

after 1 or two weeks they will be free ranging again. I need them in there to breed and so I know what breeds i get
the pullets would be on a 20-acer free range
so do you think this would work?

This could work, but you also would not need to keep the boy in with your breeding girls 24/7. He could just visit the girls every couple days for a short period to service the ladies. If you have them all free ranging now, and different breeds of Roos with them, first thing your going to want to do is lock your breeder girls up for roughly 3 weeks with no boy. Since hens can store sperm this is your clean out period. After 3 weeks take your selected boy, put him in with the girls for maybe a hour at most every other day since their coop will be on the smaller side. Wait a week then start collecting and storing their eggs for incubation that way you know for sure who the father is. This is just one method I was told about and I would prefer it over keeping the boy in with the hens locked up in a smaller space.

 

[BY Bob]

So weird. And I edited to get the spelling of Hattie correct - I looked at what I typed and it felt wrong but I couldn't figure it out - please don't tell her, I don't want to cause any upset!

It's our little secret.