Keeping and Breeding Seperate Breeds Question

[PluckyClucker99]

(edit) Sorry if I put this in the wrong place. I plan to buy 6 more rare birds in early spring, then breed them together eventually. I already have a large coop built for my five RIR and BR chickens. They are kept in covered pens, which are moved everyday to get them fresh grass. I wanted to do the same thing with my other chickens, with three pens total. Now, my question is, if I did that in the day but locked them in the same coop at dusk, would they still crossbreed each other and would the roosters fight? I let them into their pens at 6 am every morning.

 

[keesmom]

You need separate coops for separate flocks. What if you are late one day in going to let them out, or you have a heavy snowstorm and aren't able to let them out for a few days? That wouldn't end well.

Are you getting 6 new breeds at once for pure breeding pens or just looking for fancy mixed breeds?

 

[sdm111]

One breeding will result in fertile eggs after 36 hrs then that hen will lay fertile eggs for roughly 10-12 days after. Keep that in mind when u build your pens. And if u put them together at night you're gonna have a bunch of mixed breeds

 

[donrae]

Agree you'd have mixed chicks. Roosters are very ready to mate first thing in the morning. You'd have to be literally moving birds in the dark, and even then you might wind up with a crossbred chick.

 

[sdm111]

Best bet for a compressive breeding program would be done pens. One bird per pen.

or u can build breeder quarters and rotate what u want to breed

 

[PluckyClucker99]

Thanks for the answers, was hoping I wouldn't have to build more coops but oh well. I will probably buy like doghouses or something. Anyways, here is what I break it down to:

6 Isbars (my rare breed that I want)

Roo and two hens per coop. Coop would be approximately 6-9 square feet with covered run approximately 15-20 square feet. Probably would be a converted dog house/hoop coop/made from pallets. There would be two of these to house the 6 Isbars, along with my regular coop and run for the current birds.