Multiple breeds, multiple cocks: How do you prevent cross breeding?

[Allbreeds]

I have one common play yard for everyone that is enclosed. All of the breed pens are off of the court yard. Depending what kind of mood I'm in I will let one or two pens out to play at a time. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes half a day etc. then is switch out with the next group. Sometimes I will let all of the hens out into the main court yard and let all the Roos go fight with each other in a smaller common yard. They usually are so busy with bugs they don't worry about fussing with one another.

 

[MamaMarcy]

I do have to say...crossbreeding is so much fun! Every time any egg hatches it's like a present, but when a cross breed hatches it's like a present from SANTA!

 

[donrae]

With the reasons you've mentioned, no reason not to hatch out mixed breed babies. If you didn't want to hatch mixed breeds, you simple seperate the hen(s) and rooster you want to hatch out from when you're ready to incubate eggs. The rest of the time they can range together. It really doesn't matter if a BO roo covers a sussex hen if you're not going to incubate the eggs.

 

[lovenati]

what if you have roosters for each breed kept separate, and put the female with male when you want them to do the nasty?
so you have a group of ladies together free ranging, and when you want to knock one up put it in the pen with the rooster.

 

[DanEP]

Separate breeding pens work as long as you wait 2-3 weeks before saving eggs and keep the hens separate from the rest of the flock to make sure your getting the right eggs. If the hens haven't been in a flock with rooster's then you won't have to wait the 2-3 weeks just a couple of days and then check for fertility.I just run one flock and if I want to breed certain birds I just separate them for 3 week's and then start saving eggs and when I have all the eggs I want everybody goes back to the flock.