Separation of breeds?

[evergreendors]

So I have had chickens for the better part of 20-25 years so I am not a newbie. But I am going into a small scale breeding business with my business partner. A few different types of breeds chosen for friendliness, size color of eggs, any or all of those attributes. I need to start thinking about separating everyone. I have 2 coops. My plan is the big one (8x16) will hose the main flock, my egg layers/non breeders. The little one (8x8) will be the "love shack". All of my birds are free range during day and cooped at night. I'm thinking I have to make a few runs so I can have different trios in them during "breeding" time. To say when I want to deal with chicks/ fertilized eggs and so forth. Otherwise I'd like to keep my roos all together in one run and all hens outside the one run. Otherwise I have to let the hens "clean out" for like 3 weeks before we can call the eggs a particular breed. I'm making no sense. Can anyone give me tips on how to have a few roos and several hens for part time breeding purposes and keep the breeds separate when breeding...

 

[SueT]

I've read on another thread that the fertility from a mating can even last 4 weeks.
I'll be interested in seeing responses from the experts.
Good luck!

 

[evergreendors]

I've read on another thread that the fertility from a mating can even last 4 weeks.
I'll be interested in seeing responses from the experts.
Good luck!

yea 3 or 4 weeks...so i need to separate now

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Why not just build a bunch of small pens with small coops and keep breeding trios in them? When you’re not breeding the hens you can put the roosters in a bachelor pad.

 

[sourland]

Due to the time factor of a hens ability to retain sperm, separate pens are the only way to assure who the daddy is and purity of breed.

 

[sourland]

Why not just build a bunch of small pens with small coops and keep breeding trios in them? When you’re not breeding the hens you can put the roosters in a bachelor pad.

Reintroduction of breeding roosters to a rooster flock generally results in very aggressive fighting. It generally shows the most extreme nature of the pecking order.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Reintroduction of breeding roosters to a rooster flock generally results in very aggressive fighting. It generally shows the most extreme nature of the pecking order.

So scrap the bachelor pad idea and keep breeding trios or quartets year round.

 

[evergreendors]

Yea I was worried about that. I A. don't want to build more coops, B. Don't want to have to keep them penned up all the time and C. Want them to be relaxed and happy. But I know I have to keep the roos and hens or breeds separate to guarantee the breed. That's my dilemma...how without penning them up all the time...

 

[PirateGirl]

The more breeds you want, the more complicated this gets. If you are only breeding one breed I'd say have one breed of roosters only, then you just separate out the correlating girls when the time comes so you are sure you are collecting the correct eggs.

Or if you really need multiple groups maybe look at dog kennel setups with multiple chain link dividers. The non-breeding flock can still free range.

 

[PirateGirl]

Yea I was worried about that. I A. don't want to build more coops, B. Don't want to have to keep them penned up all the time and C. Want them to be relaxed and happy. But I know I have to keep the roos and hens or breeds separate to guarantee the breed. That's my dilemma...how without penning them up all the time...

you could alternate which groups get to free range, so you still have separate groups of birds and they all get to free range, just not all at the same time on the same day