My plan is to have four breeds of chickens: Bantam Salmon Favorelles, Cuckoo Marans, Silkies and Ameraucanas. Well, actually that's what I have now, plus a few miscellaneous pullets. Anyway, I am going to want to keep four roos. Currently I have two for sure (Cuckoo Marans and Bantam Salmon Favorelles). The Cuckoo is starting to work on his crow. Everyone is getting along fine so far at about 12 weeks old, but I'm wondering when your experience tells you that I need to be sure I have places to separate the roos and their respective breeding partners into other areas so the roos don't fight. Any ideas/input for me?
I can't really answer this yet, but would be interested in finding out too. Our oldest are at 18 weeks and the two roos we have get along fine, with one of them definatly being dominate over the other. so far, no fighting. Curious as to how long this will last.
If you have an adequate number of females they can be kept together indefinitely. One boy for every 10-20 hens or 2 to 20-40 is all the same to them. The exceptions would be very aggressive roosters or over crowded conditions. Otherwise there is no standard age. When they start fighting depends on the individuals not the calendar. Just play it by ear. When they start getting agressive seperate them.
Okay, I can live with that. I have been adding on to the coop and run so that I have areas big enough to be subdivided if/as/when necessary for keeping the peace, and also for possible breeding projects, so I think I'm ready if they suddenly start fighting. I don't really plan to have 10 hens per roo (more like 4-8), but I will be able to move roos and their girls to separate digs as necessary. And, I do think that the breeds I have selected tend to be less aggressive rather than more....? Or so I hope.... Susan
Hi Sue, Haven't had my coffee yet, so I will ask anyway. If you want to have four breeds and a roo for each. Would you not need four pens to keep them seperated? So your eggs and hatches are pure not mixed breeds? Dilly
I was just going to mention that. If you want pure breeds, you'll have to separate them or all the roosters will breed all the hens. Maybe I've misunderstood what you said, though.
Hi to both of you -- Dilly and Cynthia. Good point, and I think I have it covered. I know I will need the separate pens for them for breeding. So far I have two good sized totally separate areas. One of them is big enough to subdivide, and I have a plan for expansion that will give me a fourth. I just really wanted to know how soon I had to have all of those preparations done for their safety as opposed to for their breeding. Susan