Separating the cockerels from the pullets

[clevebrowns]

Could someone please tell me whether or not to separate the sexes while the birds are growing to maturity? I am planning on breeding australorps for eggs and meat next year and do not know if I need to build a bachelor pad for the roosters. If so, how big must the bachelor pad be in order to grow them to maturity?

 

[Fred's Hens]

A grow out pen needs to be as big as it needs to be. I know, that didn't sound helpful, but experience will show you that they need room to have a comfortable place on a roost. Thus, gotta have a long enough roosting bar. That will shape the size of the entire package right there. Got to have room for adequate water and feeding stations. You want them to have proper access to feed and water so they grow out as fast as possible. Time is money. These guys get big and need room to stretch. If they are going to live 24/7 in the pad that's one thing. If they get some free time outside of the pad, that's another.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As Fred says, it needs as much space as a coop for any other full grown flock. Minimum 4 sq. ft. per bird with outside access. 8 sq. ft. if not. Being roosters, it could be bigger.
It is a good idea to separate them which will minimize the fighting.

 

[Sjisty]

I don't separate. I have several grow-out pens for different stages, beginning with oversized brooders with lights and ending with a 4 x 16 grow-out pen in the main run and another 8 x 12 run attached to its own coop, if needed. Once the babies are large enough to not be so tempting to the hawks, I let them free range. The boys don't seem to get into any serious fights until maturity, and once mature, I'm ready to sell them, anyway.