How to grow my current flock into two breeds?

[Pattie Lynn]

I am uncertain on how to grow my current flock into two breeds - Marans and Americaunas. I live on 5 acres so space is not a problem. I currently have 1 Marans rooster, 1 Marans hen, 3 Rhode Island Red hens, 1 farm hen, 1 Americauna hen, 1 cross Americauna/Marans hen, 1 Barred Rock (bantam) hen. I understand roughly there are 10 hens to 1 rooster. At this point I would like to keep the hens I have. So now how do I add and keep the two breeds pure or if need to focus on one breed then the Marans pure?

Should I add just 2+ more Marans to complete that group and then add 5+ Americauna hens with an Americauna rooster? Would that keep the roosters from fighting each other since they are different breeds and with a different grouping? Can I put them all up at night in the same coop or do they also need to be separated?

Or just add a handful more of hens of each breed but letting the current Marans rooster take care of them all and not getting involved in another rooster? In this scenario focusing on the Marans breed by letting those eggs be hatched only in order to keep at least one breed pure.

In any case I do want to be true to the breed(s). Eventually, I would like for the Marans (and Americaunas if I can get it to work) to raise chicks too. Otherwise I collect the eggs and eat/sell them.

I currently have 3 separate smaller coops but am planning on building a much larger coop for everyone. The design depends on the answers here. All are free ranged.

Thanks, Pattie

 

[Joshw]

If you want pure breed chicks, you can't have different types of roosters in the same pen. The only way to keep 2 different breeds pure, is to keep them separate. Roosters have no preference of what breed of hen they are mating with. You can stick with the Maran rooster and all of your Marans will stay pure, or have 2 pens one for Marans and one for Americaunas.

 

[Pattie Lynn]

Thanks, I had a feeling it was going to be one or the other. That helps a bunch.

Okay with that said, when do you add another rooster of the same breed? Or do I need to do that if say I add for a total of 15 - 18 hens?

 

[Joshw]

You will get different answers on that. 2 roosters will cover 15 hens, but you might want 3 if you go more than that. It really depends on your pen size. Sometimes too many roosters is worse than not enough. They spend more time fighting than breeding. I would start with 2 and if you are getting unfertile eggs add another one.