Rooster Chat

[Amelia Egghart]

LOL poor little dudes! They can't help it!

So funny. I like your observation. I'm cracking up

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Makes me glad we thinned the ranks of young roosters early this year.

Edited, last year, forgot we were in a new year.

 

[summerb123]

 

[the poppster]

Thank you for confirming my observation...yesterday afternoon I noticed that the gang had been herded into the far end of the run!! And two of the "Old Roos" were on guard duty just a few feet from the isolation "Cell" door...and about half the width of the run between them...they were probably keeping an eye on each other, almost as much as keeping an eye on those cockrels!!! Whatever!!! It's working!

 

[the poppster]

Clarification!! After a few hours I let the cockrels out of the "Cell".

 

[Renee97038]

I am breeding true Ameraucanas and have only 2 hens for my wheaten cockerel. They are 8 months old and I am ready to put them together. Can someone share how it goes when you have only a couple hens for one cock?

They will have a Coop and the run is about 30 X 30 feet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am breeding true Ameraucanas and have only 2 hens for my wheaten cockerel. They are 8 months old and I am ready to put them together. Can someone share how it goes when you have only a couple hens for one cock?

They will have a Coop and the run is about 30 X 30 feet.

You will probably need some hen saddles, or you might have to separate the rooster out occasionally or the hens will be constantly mated.

 

[dekel18042]

I am breeding true Ameraucanas and have only 2 hens for my wheaten cockerel. They are 8 months old and I am ready to put them together. Can someone share how it goes when you have only a couple hens for one cock?

They will have a Coop and the run is about 30 X 30 feet.

Usually in breeding pens people put in more than that, even if it isn't the 10 to 1 ratio. Could be 5 or 6 to one. Do you have any other hens? Even if you don't intend to hatch their eggs, you could put others in or if you have brown egg layers you could make your own olive eggers (I have some olive eggers with very interesting backgrounds) or even breed him to white egg layers. (Would give you pale blue layers, very pretty eggs.)
The other thing is you don't have to keep him in the breeding pen that long depending on when you tend to hatch eggs. If you want to set eggs only once he could be in for a short time or if you want to set more than one clutch, he could be cycled in and out so he doesn't have to be with the two non stop and overbreed them to the point they have bare backs or even need saddles.

 

[the poppster]

Usually in breeding pens people put in more than that, even if it isn't the 10 to 1 ratio.  Could be 5 or 6 to one.  Do you have any other hens?  Even if you don't intend to hatch their eggs, you could put others in or if you have brown egg layers you could make your own olive eggers (I have some olive eggers with very interesting backgrounds) or even breed him to white egg layers. (Would give you pale blue layers, very pretty eggs.)
   The other thing is you don't have to keep him in the breeding pen that long depending on when you tend to hatch eggs.  If you want to set eggs only once he could be in for a short time or if you want to set more than one clutch, he could be cycled in and out so he doesn't have to be with the two non stop and overbreed them to the point they have bare backs or even need saddles.

I agree with you. Cycling the cockrel in and out of the pen is a great way to accomplish what you want to do, without wearing out the girls.

 

[summerb123]

those mean hens keep pecking at my Oscar!