Keeping the flocks pure, but........

[seabreeze]

Letting the hens free range of various breeds? Can you keep all the roos of the various breeds in a separate pen away from all the hens until you want to do the matings? Then put the hens and designated roo in the mating pen? Is that how its best to manage keeping them all happy, free ranging but not getting the breeds mixed up with mutt chicks?

will the roos be ok at the bachelor pad or will they start to beat each other up? Not sure if its like male dogs or horses, keep the girls away, separated and the dudes hang out with very little fuss?

Hope this is understandable.....brain is on warp speed tonight!

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I'm not sure if that would work. The one breeder that I went to kept all his different breeds seperated. I'm sure one of our more experienced members could answer that one.

 

[madrooster]

i have the same deal, i have 2 coops i alternate my flocks when letting them free range because i have 2 roos ,1 riw and 1 buff, so his hens free range with him. and the next day ill let the riw roo free range with his hens because i make sex link chicks with the 2 diff combos of rooster i dont mix certain birds in their coops or when i free range my birds, if by chance a roo does get with some of ur hens just wait 2 weeks before hatching eggs so they can clean there system out.i wouldnt put roosters in a pen together unless u want some bloody roos on ur hands bad idea,unless they have been raised together and then i woulkd still be cautious.

 

[tinychicky]

i don't think that would work unless the roosters grew up together.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I alternate my breeding pens for free ranging. Only one rooster and his flock of girls are out on a certain day for a few hours.

 

[donrae]

I've heard of folks here letting everyone run together and just seperate out who they want breeding eggs from. Like if you wanted to hatch Buff Orp eggs, pull your BO hens away from the other roosters, either with the BO roo or not, for two weeks or so to clear out any other roo's sperm left inside, then put the BO roo in and start collecting eggs. Housing a bunch or roos together is kinda a crapshoot, they'll probably be peaceful with no hens to fight over, but may still fight once in a while, cause they're boys with all that testosterone.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

It takes 3 weeks to a month for a certain rooster's sperm to be out of a hens reproductive system.

Housing roosters around anywhere they can see hens will lead to trouble! Been there, done that.

 

[seabreeze]

OK, thanks everyone! Sounds like the roos need their own little flocks. sigh. I was hoping to be able to let all the girls mingle and the boys' hang at at the boys' club, away from the girls, over with the turkeys and ducks or somethin'!! then bring them over to their segregated flock to do their manly duties and returned to the boys' club.

OK, so this means some more coops and runs eh? EEK! $$$$$$$ ->->->->