Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[The Yakima Kid]

Have you checked on the hatching threads. The eggs for sale threads? It seems to me you can put on there that you are looking for heritage Doms.

I've also put it on the American Dominique organization Facebook page and joined the club. Closest ones are apparently in Oregon. Hatching isn't much of an option for us, given that I would have to cull any large fowl roosters.

 

[Chestnut]

How would you set up a basic breeding program facility? I'm talking structures. I have a small flock and plan on doing group breeding with clans. I have one main coop and run now but trying to think how to plan buildings when I start actually breeding next season. I thought about making breeding pens and after the season use those for keeper cocks, move hens to coop and a temp grow-out pen (3 side roost and electric fencing) for cockrels. Thoughts?

 

[Wisher1000]

Bob recommended 4x4 pens for pairs. Your group pens would need to be sized according to how many you had in each group. I currently have three 4x8's, one 4x4, two 2x4's, one 12x16, two 8x8s and an 8x16 - and it's not enough! When I think about what I want to have, I always end with the thought, "I need more pens!"

Just remember....If you build it, they will come.

 

[NeilsHamburgs]

I agree. I have 10 12x12 pens and I'm always short on pen space. One main reason is hamburg hens will fight and kill each other when you switch pens around. The males are actually easier to switch around and keep together.

 

[finnfur]

Bob recommended 4x4 pens for pairs. Your group pens would need to be sized according to how many you had in each group. I currently have three 4x8's, one 4x4, two 2x4's, one 12x16, two 8x8s and an 8x16 - and it's not enough! When I think about what I want to have, I always end with the thought, "I need more pens!"

Just remember....If you build it, they will come.

A VERY TRUE STATEMENT LOL

 

[MagicChicken]

Bob recommended 4x4 pens for pairs. Your group pens would need to be sized according to how many you had in each group. I currently have three 4x8's, one 4x4, two 2x4's, one 12x16, two 8x8s and an 8x16 - and it's not enough! When I think about what I want to have, I always end with the thought, "I need more pens!"

Just remember....If you build it, they will come.

4'x6' turned out to be kind of small for my black javas, who were in the breeding pens for several weeks last spring and could not get out very often. They are used to being out foraging most of the time. Need to reconfigure the pens and yard fencing so I can let the breeders out more often and still keep them separated from the rest of the flock. Hope that will help with fertility. They got kind of sulky and aggressive after a few weeks in the breeding pens last year, and they became less fertile the longer they were in the pens. It's a learning curve and I am still near the beginning of it.

Sarah

 

[gjensen]

People come to a variety of preferences concerning how they manage their birds. What a bird will tolerate, and in what setting a bird will thrive, will depend largely on the birds.
Like Neil mentioned, some hens do not tolerate being broke apart, and being put back together. There are some ways to manage that, depending on what you have.
Birds kept individually where they cannot see other birds, generally do not do well. These are things, many figure out along the way. Some will work with two families, some will work with four.
Some need more room than others.

What seams the easiest to overlook, is the space required to grow the birds out. Also the quantity of hatches (mixed ages). How many you can responsibly grow out should be the largest and first consideration.

 

[Chestnut]

Well that's what I'm trying to assess. If I know what is required I can then adjust my plan to what I can accommodate. I have dorkings which like to roam a lot. I had thought about having the hens separated until I had the eggs I needed and hatched and then let them go back to the laying coop. I know roosters tend to not reintegrate well so I thought I'd just leave them in the breeding pen. Would I need two grow out pens, one for pullets one for cockrels or could the pullets be added back to the general population? I know each flock is different but I'd like a plan to start with and adjust as it develops.

 

[Wisher1000]

I believe you are on the right track. Separating the pullets from the cockerels as soon as you know the difference alleviates stress and seems to make a difference in the growth rate. They just do better. I separate mine when they are quite young and as I cull from the pullet pen, they go to the layer flock. That pen (the layer flock) has some cull roosters to keep watch and order, and that is the flock I sell from if people want young layers or males for the pot. It is working pretty well but I wish (there I go again) that I had room to grow out both genders to a year and then cull just one time (although that would be expensive!)

 

[capayvalleychick]

4'x6' turned out to be kind of small for my black javas, who were in the breeding pens for several weeks last spring and could not get out very often. They are used to being out foraging most of the time. Need to reconfigure the pens and yard fencing so I can let the breeders out more often and still keep them separated from the rest of the flock.

I have a set of 8 breeding pens that are 4x8 each. I felt the same as you, so I built an exercise run, attached to the entire front of the structure. I alternated letting each pen have some time in the run. Worked out well.