Rooster flock questions

[chickencheeper]

im thinking about starting a rooster flock that we would occasionally pick one and selectively breed with a hen in our normal flock and then remove him and put him back in the rooster flock. Would this work? Also would the roosters fight if they could see the hens but not be with them(separate coops and runs but both could see each other)
What do you think @RoostersAreAwesome ?

 

[feedman77]

Roos in a flock by themselves would be ok. When you put the selected breeder back there may be quite a bit fighting to re establish the pecking order.

It would be best if the bachelor flock does not see the hens.

 

[chickencheeper]

These are my chickens(all hens) what breeds would be a good fit with them? Would a Brahma or Cochin or welsummer or Orpington work with them?

 

[chickencheeper]

Roos in a flock by themselves would be ok. When you put the selected breeder back there may be quite a bit fighting to re establish the pecking order.

It would be best if the bachelor flock does not see the hens.

What about hearing them(not seeing them)

 

[feedman77]

I don't think hearing them would be as bad as seeing them. That' when showing off and competition between roos would start.

They are all large breed hens so pick a roo you want. I have 40 hens all the varieies
You have with 5 roos. Barred rock, cochin, wellsummer, cream legbar, Rhode island red.

What do you want from your chicks? Meat, eggs, colors, colored eggs.

 

[chickencheeper]

I don't think hearing them would be as bad as seeing them. That' when showing off and competition between roos would start.

They are all large breed hens so pick a roo you want. I have 40 hens all the varieies
You have with 5 roos. Barred rock, cochin, wellsummer, cream legbar, Rhode island red.

What do you want from your chicks? Meat, eggs, colors, colored eggs.

I’d like egg color(dark for one breed and colored for another) and different colored Cochins/brahmas with mixed breeds

 

[Mrs. K]

I am never quite sure that I follow the thinking of this question. First, just pick a rooster to put with all the hens, if you want a specific match up, then just hatch her eggs. It won't hurt the other birds, that is the easy way.

What I think is that you thinking of either of these ideas:

• People do often times keep a trio together, a rooster and 2-3 hens. Then hatch those eggs. They want a high fertility ratio, and a good hatch. They want a specific breeding. They then separate the rooster back out, so that he does not overbreed these hens. I am not sure if they put the rooster by himself, or back in with other roosters. I think that this would cause a bit of fighting between the roosters, but maybe not bad, maybe terrible. As for the hens, it is apt to be a scuffle if you add them back to the hen flock. If you can separate them within sight, it is apt to work better.
• You want to have several hatchings in a year, and do different breeds. If you have two set ups, one for the roosters, and one for the hens, it would be easier, less strife and more natural to just set up two different flocks, one with one rooster, one with another.
• Or you want to breed only one of the roosters, and then keep the hens and roosters separate so that you don't have fertilized eggs. Some people are nervous about eating or cooking with fertilized eggs. Perhaps they have the misunderstanding that they consider a fertilized egg like a mammal egg, in which when fertilized, life begins at once. Fertilize eggs in chickens are in limbo. They do not begin the life cycle until they have been kept at 100 degrees for about 24 hours. This allows a chicken to lay an egg a day, until the clutch looks right, and then incubate them all at once so they all hatch at the same time. Before she begins to set, they are inert.

What you suggest is going to cause a lot of strife in your flock. Flocks do not like strange birds. And chickens forget birds rather quickly. You can do this, it might work, but it is not real practical.

If you want to hatch different breeds, it would be easier to change out the flock rooster with the breed you want. Roosters are generally easy, and cheap to come by.

Mrs K

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

im thinking about starting a rooster flock that we would occasionally pick one and selectively breed with a hen in our normal flock and then remove him and put him back in the rooster flock. Would this work? Also would the roosters fight if they could see the hens but not be with them(separate coops and runs but both could see each other)
What do you think @RoostersAreAwesome ?

It would work, though there would be fighting upon re-itroduction of the rooster in both flocks. It is better for the roosters to not be able to see the hens, though it's not the end of the world if they can. It's fine if the roosters can hear the hens.



I'm assuming that you already read my article. If not, here's the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/rooster-flocks.72998/

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

View attachment 1229681 View attachment 1229682 View attachment 1229683 View attachment 1229684 View attachment 1229685 View attachment 1229686 These are my chickens(all hens) what breeds would be a good fit with them? Would a Brahma or Cochin or welsummer or Orpington work with them?

If it was me I would probably choose a smaller breed, so re-itroduction of the rooster into the hen flock would be smoother for the hens. If you want colored (green, blue, pink) eggs, an easter egger would be a good choice, especially since they're very easy to find.

 

[centrarchid]

I do the bachelor pad with American Dominiques and my Missouri Dominiques. Larger male only groups seem to work better. Feathers tend to get dinged up.