Is there way to control which roo mates hen without breeding pen?

[Mrs. K]

You can do it without a breeding pen, it really does not matter who the rooster mates. A lot of those eggs will not be hatched. One only has to know which eggs one wants to hatch. If for example, if you want a pure bred hatch, only hatch the eggs that come from the same breed as the hen and rooster. Eat the other eggs. You need to be sure that you can tell the eggs apart from the eggs produced by the other breed.

However, you cannot have multiple kinds of roosters running with your flock and know what you are going to hatch. Adding roosters is relatively cheap and easy. Adding a higher quality rooster is the best and cheapest way to improve your flock. And adding a rooster is an easy introduction to the flock. Another way to solve you problem is to cull the roosters that you have, (they may not be too true to form if you got them from a hatchery) One year, get a good rooster the same breed as the chicken you want to hatch from and hatch only her eggs. Next year, you can invite him to dinner, and try a different breed. Now each rooster would be running with and breeding all of the hens, but you decide what hatches.

By then, you may decide you do want pens, or something else will come up and your plans will change. The first rule for successful breeders is a sharp knife, if you are new to this hobby there is a temptation to keep more roosters than you need. Roosters are easy to come by, let your home boys go

Mrs K

 

[jvls1942]

I thought it was Brylcreme, a little dab'l do ya.
It doesn't matter, most on here are too young to remember.. and the rest of us are too old to remember anything..

Just isolate ALL the roosters from all the hens for 3 weeks to a month.
then put the one rooster with the hens. pick out your chosen hen's eggs and you will be breeding purebreeds..

You have too many potential roosters for the few hens you have anyhow.. send them off to freezer camp..
I hope you have room for all the new chicks.
keep in mind that your hens are good for only 2 and MAYBE 3 egg laying seasons. then production drops off..
a hen is provided with a cluster of eggs inside her.
when that cluster is used up, so is she...

.........jiminwisc.....

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I thought it was Brylcreme, a little dab'l do ya.
It doesn't matter, most on here are too young to remember.. and the rest of us are too old to remember anything..

Just isolate ALL the roosters from all the hens for 3 weeks to a month.
then put the one rooster with the hens. pick out your chosen hen's eggs and you will be breeding purebreeds..

You have too many potential roosters for the few hens you have anyhow.. send them off to freezer camp..
I hope you have room for all the new chicks.
keep in mind that your hens are good for only 2 and MAYBE 3 egg laying seasons. then production drops off..
a hen is provided with a cluster of eggs inside her.
when that cluster is used up, so is she...

.........jiminwisc.....

IDK... Many people have hens 6 years old and still laying every other day! Thinking it partly depends on genetics/breed as well as overall nutrition and husbandry practices (think long term extra lighting).. and possibly even weather! (Mild weather equals less stress on the body verses extreme heat and cold. Indoor dogs live longer than outdoor dogs because they don't have to battle the climate, for example.) Maybe dual purpose breeds aren't used up as fast since they lay every other day instead of every day?

I got a 4 year old Marans, wasn't laying when I got her.. but with better conditions and higher protein feed, she IS laying. Now her eggs have some extra calcium deposits, so I won't be hatching them, but proof that sometimes things ARE relative. I do agree that older hens won't bring you highest profitability though.

Also, the info I've seen does agree with there only being a set number of eggs from day 1.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

We free range a Roo and 2 or 3 hens of the same breed occasionally. Usually the hens stay near and follow the Roo or Visa versa. They tend to have more of a chance of not being repeatedly tagged with room to escape the Roo. Less stress for our ladies. Less feather loss etc.
We have found free range hens have a higher fertilization chance than our breeding houses. In the houses the rooster seems to get lazy and spoiled. Then we swap out the roos and the love starved Roo behaves like a kid in a candy store. Gotta try them all!

This is what we have been doing. I am sure there are a million other methods out there so find out what works for you. Thanks for creating the topic and good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[jvls1942]

I think that having two roosters is better for fertilization. provided there are plenty of hens..
the roosters cpmpete with each other.
usually the dominant one does most of the breeding. but having that other guy just waiting for his chance makes the dominant one stay on his toes..