separate housing for cockerels

[saildog]

I have read on the site some people house the roosters separately. I have 2 cockerels and 23 pullets. I got them all as chicks, ( thought I was getting only one cockerel) If I want to house the 2 boys separately from all the females at what age do I start to do that? And how do I train them to go to a different house? Is the main purpose of that just to limit breeding and wearing out the girls?
They are all together in a large coop 15 X 30 , and free range during the day. I was going to get rid of one male but now I read that if they start out together they tend to do OK. It is already obvious which is the dominant one and they are 5 weeks now. Any advice on keeping them all happy?

 

[Judy]

Unless they fight violently, which most breeds don't, the purpose is usually to get purebred chicks and limit wear on the girls. If you house them separately they will need a separate coop as well as outdoor area so they are separate 24/7. With 23 hens, and one roo already dominant, they should do fine together. You could have a separate breeding pen later on for a roo and a few hens of the same breed if you want purebred eggs. You may or may not see unacceptable amounts of wear on the girls, and to a degree this can be controlled by clipping toenails and spurs, and saddles. For now you could certainly leave them together and see how things go.