Off Season Housing for Breeding Stock

[Amosis16]

For you breeders out there, how do you house your breeding stock outside of breeding season? Specifically does each clan have it's own pen, or do you just mark them and sort them out during breeding season? Is there any reason I can't run my breeders with my egg layers? Space is a premium around my place and I am trying to figure out the most efficient housing solutions, particularly in the off season. I currently have two hoop coops that I move around my yard. I plan to use them as clan breeding pens and grow out pens and am preparing to build a permanent winter coop and run for my players and breeders. I would like to keep all the birds in that coop co mingled except for breeding season

 

[sourland]

The major problem with comingling breeding groups is that the roosters will generally fight and not just to the level of pecking order. The hens will eventually work things out, but especially in this hot weather the roosters may kill one another.

 

[Amosis16]

So do I need to plan on having a separate pen for each roo or will they get along in the bachelor pen if no ladies are around?

 

[tjo804]

So do I need to plan on having a separate pen for each roo or will they get along in the bachelor pen if no ladies are around?

I am wondering this as well. I am thinking about starting a breeding program with either Silkies or Bantam Cochins. I have had both of these breeds and they seem to be very friendly and I am wondering if I could do housing of a Ladies place And separate a Bachelor Pad. With a breeding coop and grow out area in another spot.

We are talking about a new coop/run complex type like multi car garage would look separate spaces in same general area.

I am wondering if that would work best?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yep when breeding season is over I pick a few to keep together for winter breeding and everything else is turned loose in the yard which is where my laying flock and odds and ends live year around.
Come spring I sort out everything I want to breed and set up the breeding pens.

 

[tjo804]

@The Moonshiner do you have a fenced property? Or do you just breed winter survivors? (Sounds Cocky, I do not mean it that way!)

Do you breed in large quantity? Or are you more for selling fertile eggs?
Do you breed to raise SQ?
I guess I am trying to ask what kind of space do you require for the results you are looking for / getting?

(Sorry, old ... not blonde)

I want to build but I am not sure exactly what I might need/want to have access to.

 

[tjo804]

I am leaning towards something like this

but not sure about how many pens and if 4x20 is enough space for incubating, brooders, and storage for food and medication pest control and what not. Also need to figure out a record keeping something and to band or not to band.

Any thoughts?

 

[Amosis16]

Yep when breeding season is over I pick a few to keep together for winter breeding and everything else is turned loose in the yard which is where my laying flock and odds and ends live year around.
Come spring I sort out everything I want to breed and set up the breeding pens.

So are there roos in this pen too? Or do you keep your roos seperate?

 

[The Moonshiner]

So are there roos in this pen too? Or do you keep your roos seperate?

Its 3 1/2 acres fenced in as our "yard" I have tons of roosters. In the spring and summer a lot of them are in breeding pens. As are a lot of the hens so its a lot smaller flock but I hatch a lot so all the older juveniles go in the yard as well. Started using a rooster pen and separating out some of the roosters because it was becoming an issue for the pullets. Too many roosters equals pullets getting to much attention.
That's the only issue I've had that concerned me with someone getting hurt.
So yes I do house just roosters in that area.
Come late fall I break down my breeding groups. Maybe 10 or 15 move to garage and I breed them over the winter. Everyone else is then turn out in the yard for winter. By then most pullets are almost grown so not a lot of younger pullets out there and a lot more hens so the rooster Vs pull at issue isn't so much of an issue.
Everyone lives together over the winter.
Last fall I went into winter with about 500 birds. About 80 or so were roosters or cockerels.

 

[The Moonshiner]

@The Moonshiner do you have a fenced property? Or do you just breed winter survivors? (Sounds Cocky, I do not mean it that way!)

Do you breed in large quantity? Or are you more for selling fertile eggs?
Do you breed to raise SQ?
I guess I am trying to ask what kind of space do you require for the results you are looking for / getting?

(Sorry, old ... not blonde)

I want to build but I am not sure exactly what I might need/want to have access to.

We have 4' goat fence and dogs for predators. I do loose some to predators and some to the winter conditions so I guess yes I do breed winter survivors but we get through winter with most of the birds.

No I don't sell fertile eggs nor do I breed to show.
I hatch every egg I can and I breed leghorn color/pattern project just for my entertainment really.
Depending on the year and time of the year I may hatch only 20 chicks a week other times I'm hatch 100+ a week.

No problem. I'm old and blonde.

Space isn't my issue. I use a two car garage for brooding then winter breeding
Also have a 30 X 40 barn for grow out and breeding pens. Couple other large pens for whatever and a row of pens along outside of an out building.
Guess to many that would seem like a lot of space needed