That's so funny - "Oh, goody, it's sexy sexy time! Pick me up pick me up pick me up!!!!!!!" I can see that being a useful method when working on something specific like that.
Not only do I like having the protection of the roosters over their girls, but I have found that I enjoy having chickens in family groups, at least at this point in my chicken-keeping journey - I suppose it just appeals to me.
- Ant Farm
Oh I like that too.. have enjoyed that for many years, but now all chickens are permanently penned up, except for one small and long term group of one rooster and 5 hens that get to free range sometimes. He really does watch over and herd them- the hens also very clearly follow and flock around him closely. It's a pleasant thing to see..
My main interest in the hobby is the genetics part of it.. which makes it a necessity to separate/move around... but it also requires fair numbers, sigh.. I try to keep the overall numbers low(well, more like trying not to let it get sky high..) also want to keep as few roosters as possible(neighborly consideration- the next door neighbors are wonderful). Plus other little things like I'd like for a particular hen to be bred by a rooster- but the rooster is in with a large group of hens(15), I don't really want to put that hen in there- you know how new birds are treated by the established ones.... which can interfere with mating plus impossible to tell which eggs are from that hen.. much easier overall to have her in her own pen and have rooster visit.
Or wanting a particular hen bred by different roosters... instead of moving her around and having her deal with new hens, she can stay comfortable and just wait on collecting eggs between roosters. Etc.
