Introduce 2nd rooster to 24 hens?

[Ted Brown]

I removed 4 roosters from 25-30 hens more than a year ago. I housed them in separate cages; 2 died a short time ago.

I have 12 Chant hens, I moved a Chant roo from cage to coop&run a week ago. Zero issues with re-integration (Chanteclers are said/known to be docile birds).

My 2nd roo is a Cooper Maran mutt; I want to also re-integrate if its a good idea?

I obviously want fertilized Chant eggs. I have some Maran (black) hens would like fertilized eggs; also have two greys, a partridge coloured and "Diana Berry" 5 years old, coop Queen, silkie. I can alternate the roos or combine.

I have 7 ready to lay arriving end of March.

What say you?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Let's see if I understood this. You want chicks from both roosters with all of the hens. It doesn't matter to you which rooster mates with which hen. One rooster has been with the hens a couple of weeks, the other has been separated. Your concern is that if you put both roosters together with all of the hens the two roosters will fight.

I think there is a real good chance the boys will fight. It could be a fight to the death or they could work out an accommodation where both help take care of the flock. Both will mate with hens but one may have to do that "behind the rose bush".

I can't tell you how it will work out. But I'd try it when I could observe and be ready to intervene. Or rotate the roosters. That usually works out OK.

My preference would be two separate enclosures where each boy has his own harem of your choosing but that takes room.

 

[Ted Brown]

Only want fertilized Chants and I pretty much know their eggs. If my coloured egg layers start again also want those.

Thank you, pretty much what I figured. Will probably keep separate. On my way to a 2nd coop & run with shared HC wall; normal bachelor pad or config to temporary breeding space using panels.

Good intentions.

 

[Mrs. K]

Even though they got along before, now there are hens. That will lead to fights, might work out over time. But if you hatch the eggs, you might get the cross you want, but equally the chance, the cross you don’t want. If you want only one way of breeding, you really have to keep them separate.

 

[Ted Brown]

I want coloured eggs.

Other than that I want SOP White Chanteclers and Barred Rock. I had a Rock Roo but lost him to confinement & winter, still have 5 rock hens.

I should also get Partridge Chanteclers...

 

[Mrs. K]

Hmmm, I am not positive but I think you have to put a white eared rooster over chickens with colored eggs, to get new pullets that lay colored eggs.

Right now, that is what I am looking for, for that very reason. I lost a rooster a month ago.

I want coloured eggs.

Other than that I want SOP White Chanteclers and Barred Rock. I had a Rock Roo but lost him to confinement & winter, still have 5 rock hens.

I should also get Partridge Chanteclers...

Choices are endless this time of year.

 

[Ted Brown]

"Choices are endless this time of year."

What do you mean?

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I am without a rooster, I could find one locally. I could just add chicks if I get a broody. I could go to Sandhills Preservation and order a new breed of chicks, but have to get 25 which will mean a lot of processing or to the local feed store. I currently have 8 head, a good fit in the fall is 13.

I could also do some meat birds…

Endless choices.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hmmm, I am not positive but I think you have to put a white eared rooster over chickens with colored eggs, to get new pullets that lay colored eggs.

There is no genetic link between ear lobe color and eggshell color. Zero, Nada, Zip. To get colored eggs one of the parents has to contribute a blue eggshell gene.

The rumor, myth, incorrect belief that there is a connection is pretty widespread on this forum. There is a reason people jump to that incorrect conclusion. Many common breeds have white earlobes and lay white shelled eggs. Many other breeds tend to have red earlobes and lay brown eggs. It is easy to make that correlation but it is incorrect.

Once you start crossing chickens that lay different colored eggs or have different colored earlobes you can get some different combinations. But to stick with breeds, check out The Penedesenca, brown eggs , white earlobes. Or the Phoenix, white eggs and red earlobes. Or the Lamona, white eggs and red earlobes. Just a few examples.

 

[Mrs. K]

Very good point about the earlobes and egg color and to be honest, I did google this before I posted it. Just spreading the falsehood.

Sooooo would a white egg shell breed be a better cross over a colored egg shell producing hen to continue to get the colored eggs? Will a brown egg shell breed of roosters cover up the blue color gene?

In the OP - the mutt rooster was a Maran type rooster - which should be at least a shade of brown shells? Would that work? Or would he just get brown eggs?

Once you start crossing chickens that lay different colored eggs or have different colored earlobes you can get some different combinations