Males kept Segregated from the Females?

[Ted Brown]

I removed all cocks & cockerels to separate cages last fall. My main motivation was/is to control breeding but my hens often looked bedraggled from damaged feathers. So far I am pleased with the results: i have 27 pullets & hens, they look better and behaviours are much calmer; multiple roosters can be housed together without mayhem and it is much easier to see & compare one bird to another (which to use for breeding?)

I am interested in any comments from folks who have experience with flocks that are separated.

Thanks

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I literally just removed one of my males for chasing a hen into submission and threw his butt with my other two males. I have a rule if your an idiot you get no hens lol i can give hens i cant take them just as easy lol

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never pulled all of them, nor pulled them and planned to keep forever. But while I have had multiple roosters, it just seems harder than it should be.

I like a single rooster with a flock of twelve.

To be honest I have created breeding plans, but I never stick with them.

I am getting a rooster now that is really coming into some very nice traits. But I think they have to be in a flock to do so.

 

[Ted Brown]

... But while I have had multiple roosters, it just seems harder than it should be.
...
I am getting a rooster now that is really coming into some very nice traits. But I think they have to be in a flock to do so.

A hen only flock has almost no drama. I would say roos do cause the majority of disruption in a mixed flock; i have had single and multiple males mixed with flocks of various sizes, now have 27 hens and too many roos (rues?) but kept separately.

I queried a couple of AI bots (including Tudy). In essence said depends on one's objectives.

 

[Ted Brown]

@Mrs. K curious what the traits you mentioned are?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ted, I don't separate so no experience to rely on. I could see where keeping all the boys separate could make it easier when it is time to breed a certain rooster to certain hens. You don't need to isolate the hens for a month before you start collecting hatching eggs.

I'm responding so I can see the response from @Mrs. K

 

[Ted Brown]

... could make it easier when it is time to breed a certain rooster to certain hens. You don't need to isolate the hens for a month before you start collecting hatching eggs.

Correct, plus the other benefits.

I plan to select both a rooster & hens and segregate in a breeding pen until I have the number of eggs I want to hatch.

 

[Mrs. K]

Thank you for asking, I am highly flattered.

My current rooster - I have never touched. He was raised up under Mrs. Feathers - who raised up my all time top rooster 'Bye'. Bye was ugly as sin, but had truly great traits.

Traits I like to see:

• Calmness when I am around, he should just casually move away from me, generally has his girls behind him. But if you were not looking for that, you might not even notice.
• His girls hang on his every cluck.
• He is the first to see me, when I approach the coup. When they are out free ranging - his head is often up looking around
• Of course he tidbits to his girls and has a crow I like.
• He keeps his girls together. Last week, when Sargent was promoted to Lieutenant - I had 3 hens go out of sight over a small hill. I was cleaning things - and all of a sudden, I saw his head go up, he ran up the hill, and in moments he and the girls came back to the rest of the flock
• He can tolerate a crying grandchild, who got left when he was sure he was old enough to go work cattle. Again, the rooster should remain calm and move away.
• A rooster is interested in the nests and will show nests to hens (they seldom agree with him, but it is fun to watch).
• Fertilized eggs - but feathers are not ruffled - accept at the end.
• Hens do not object to being bred
• Predator awareness- now a lot of people on here poo poo the idea of a rooster helping with flock protection. And without a doubt, there are limits. However, I truly free range as in many many acres - we are a ranch, we have predators. With an adult rooster close to a year old, I have almost no day time predator loss. I have never had a senior hen come close to this. (However, I don't free range all of the time)
• I notice that at night right now, the pullets coming into lay, with bright red combs are sitting right next him, the other birds still out of lay are farther away.
• He did not bother pullets until they reddened up

Traits I do not tolerate:
* the evil eye, the flapping of wings at me, the excess crowing at me, and charging or attacking me. I don't like it if there is strife in the flock.

I keep a dozen hens - I like a single rooster with them. Last summer, I had two youngish roosters - when I got rid of one, I could not believe the difference it made in the flock. The tension that I was not even aware of, was gone. Later on, that rooster took to picking on a mature BA hen, he was gone. I am not interested in fixing roosters - don't really believe in it.

The current fellow I got, came out of the above rooster. He will be a year old in July. He is working out well. I of course am hoping for another "Bye", but I know that you don't get many of them.

Mrs K

 

[Ted Brown]

...
I keep a dozen hens - I like a single rooster with them. Last summer, I had two youngish roosters - when I got rid of one, I could not believe the difference it made in the flock. The tension that I was not even aware of, was gone.
...
Mrs K

There is great truth in your words "...tension that I was not even aware of...".

 

[Mrs. K]

There is great truth in your words "...tension that I was not even aware of...".

I don't think I would keep two roosters unless I had a free ranging flock of 25-30 birds. For a truly backyard flock, if I had less than 6 birds, I would not keep rooster.

My set up, fits a dozen +/-, and I like a single rooster. I love to hatch. No I don't have any plans, I have had plans, but never stick to them. Yes, I cull extra roosters. I do have a small coop and run, that I can have temporairly a bachelor flock.