How Not to Mix Different Breeds.

[Chickenpen]

The first picture is Rocky favoring his hurt foot.

I'm going to tell you a story so you will understand why I want to do this. I am a Java lover but I lost my flock to a pack of coyotes. Someone felt sorry for me and gave me 6 pullets and a rooster. He said they are Rhode Island Reds. (I don't think so) but I didn't tell him that. They are red though. When they became hens each one looked a little different. They lay good though. When the rooster was full grown he looks similar to a Game Cock. Most every time I went to feed or let them out of their run I had to fight him to show I was the predominate rooster. He always lost but in about three days he would try again. I started to get a little angry with this. I named him Rocky after Rocky Balboa the fighter. In the mean time I was able to get me some Java straight run chicks so I will start all over with a new Java flock. I redesigned my run so nothing could fly in from the top or dig under to get in. I do let them free range during the day for six or eight hours. I thought since I have a new flock coming I will just eat Rocky. I said all that so you would know my reason and why I would like ideals from you old pros. One day while my so called Red Island Reds were free ranging I had a medium size dog to attack my flock. My wife saw what was happening and hollered at me. I ran outside and saw this dog attacking one of my hens. I saw Rocky jump on the dog and start flogging him. The dog turned on Rocky and I started shouting as I ran toward them. The dog had Rocky down and I thought he was a goner; feathers were being pulled out. I kicked the dog and he started running off. My hen was okay but had some bite marks, Rocky's leg was hurt he had trouble walking on it. I think if Rocky didn't have this fighting instinct in him, I would have lost at least one hen if not more. Now my question for you ole pros. I want to keep Rocky after that incident but I want to raise Java's. How can I keep Rocky and a Java rooster and breed pure blood Java's?

 

[enola]

You will have to keep him away from the Java hens during breeding season and 30 days before you want to start collecting eggs to hatch.

 

[aart]

Maybe keep them in separate enclosures and free range them at different times, on alternate days?

 

[Free Feather]

Like Enola said, they can be together all the time except for about a month before you go to hatch eggs. Hens can retain fertilization from a rooster for as long as that, so the withdrawal "flushes" Rocky out of the Java hens' systems. When they are separated, you can do rotational free ranging like aart said.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have very good luck with an adult rooster helping me with predator control, however, juvenile rooster do not. Personally, I have a theory that you get better roosters if you have them raised up in a flock... so if you can put up with this devil rooster until your juvenile roosters are close to a year old, then treat the old boy with the ax, and start your pure bred flock by just hatching the eggs from the java girls.

I am assuming that if you get straight run chicks, about half will be roosters. Thin them out as you go, personally, I rather like the second in command rooster for my flock. It will be a bit of a pain, having that many roosters but the old boy probably will not take much sass, and sounds aggressive enough to keep the young boys in line, long enough to get them raised up even 6-9 months.

Mrs K

 

[Chickenpen]

I don't want to lose Rocky now that I saw how much heart he has. He would have died protecting his hens. He probable will be aggressive to the younger roosters, Java roosters from my experience are not very aggressive so Rocky could be a benefit in protecting the flock. (His Flock)

Thank all of you for your response They were very helpful.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

..... When the rooster was full grown he looks similar to a Game Cock. Most every time I went to feed or let them out of their run I had to fight him to show I was the predominate rooster..... he always lost but in about three days he would try again. I started to get a little angry with this..... I want to keep Rocky after that incident but I want to raise Java's. How can I keep Rocky and a Java rooster and breed pure blood Java's?

To answer the last question first breed your Java's under wire, that means no social or physical interaction between any of your Javas and Reds regardless of their sex. All roosters will act like Rocky acted if you give him sufficient reason to fear your designs on his hens and if his sex glands are functioning.

As far as rooster on rooster aggression is concerned, I think Java fowl would be no different from RIRs since it is claimed that back in the 1830s that the Java fowl went into the makeup of the RIRs. So I think that Java roosters will act similar in many if not most ways to the way Rocky acts.