Line breeding infrastructure

[DebD]

Hi! We are buying two pullets and two cockerels from a woman who has bred her own line of BAs. We don't have the infrastructure or the desire to run two flocks so we are planning to house the hens with one rooster, put the other rooster in his own pen, have a breeding/brood pen, and two grow out pens for the pullets and cockerels. This is why we don't want to build another huge coop/run like one we just finished. Does anyone else have a set up like this where they move their hens to the rooster's pen? If so, what type of coop/pen do your roosters have? Pictures of the bachelor pad(s) are welcome!

 

[Mrs. K]

I am a bit curious about your whole set up? How many birds do you currently have? Why are you getting two roosters?

Sometimes a problem that can occur, but does not always occur, is roosters can fight even with a fence between them. But other than that, other than the rule of more space is always better, I think what you are proposing will work.

 

[DebD]

Thank you for responding so quickly! We have a large coop/run and a tractor coop. We are getting the last of a line this woman has been breeding for 10 years for exactly what we want to breed for. She's anxious that nothing happen to her line and all the work she's put into it. She encouraged us to start hatching as soon as possible, which we're fine with b/c we want eggs! Anyway, she hatches year round but may have a barn, shed or some other building to put house her brooder and keep the chicks in for weeks at a time. We can put the hens and one rooster together and use a breeding pen to collect eggs from specific hens. And we want another rooster for a backup and to start another line. Over time, with inbreeding, we'll start to see the line become depressed and part of our intention is to never have to bring an outside bird into our flock or depend on any other breeder. But we can't keep the cockerels together, once they get to breeding age. We've never kept a rooster by itself and always coop and range our flock. We don't want to build another coop/run the size of the one we have in order to run another whole flock. And we aren't going to pen breed, so it really would be more work that way. Hope that answers your questions? : )

 

[Mrs. K]

How many chickens do you currently have? Is this your first adventure? Do you have an incubator? This is rather an intense breeding plan for two hens. I realize that eventually you will hatch out and have more pullets, but as a lady waiting for her first egg in a do over, it takes forever.

What do you mean by not going to pen breed? One really does not need a back up rooster if one only has two hens. Is this lady retiring? If so get MORE hens. If you start another line, you will need to separate them, or the dominant rooster will still be covering all the hens.

If she is not retiring, it would be better to get one rooster now, and then when you need to, go back to her and get a new rooster. If you get both roosters now, they will both be old at the same time. Multiple roosters are tricky to manage, the more roosters you have the more apt you are to have serious problems. If you are inexperienced, I would definitely wait on the second rooster.

I agree you are going to need to separate the rooster chicks out, they will need some protection from the elements. The pullets can grow up with the hens, be better for it.

Your intention to never bring in another outside bird is pretty unrealistic, unless you are incredibly lucky. In order to do serious breeding, one needs to hatch a great deal, and cull ruthlessly. Once you are on your own, your line will be influenced by her line, but over time will change. What breed are you working with? There is nothing wrong in getting fresh blood later on in fact it is a good idea. However, lines do not get depressed over a year, but rather years of breeding. You will really not need to start that other line for a couple of years.

I think she has put a lot of time into her flock, but once they leave her, they are your birds, and you are not honor bound to do it her way unless that works for you. Do not let her control your birds, but do go to her for advice, just know you don't have to take it, if it doesn't work for you and your set up. She is probably happy that she is establishing another flock somewhere else, in case something happens to her flock. All those genetics won't be lost. But flocks do change over time, keep in mind, that plans don't always work out.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Depending on how many hatches you plan to have, and how you plan to 'control' offspring down the line, you're going to need multiple pens.

Are the 2 males unrelated?