Separation of breeds?

[JedJackson]

You have to keep them separated during the breeding season, and for at least 4 weeks before that, too. There really is no other option when you are breeding several different kinds of chickens, or even two different kinds of chickens. If you don't keep the hens from breeding with other roosters you are likely to get a mix, and you may not even know it until the second or third generation. I know this isn't what you want to hear but it's reality. They need separate coops & runs.

 

[PirateGirl]

Take lots of photos of your existing setup and maybe folks can help you find the easiest way to add on or make dividers etc. when the time comes for construction. This is an exciting project to start a breeding flock, don't let the logistics overwhelm you or put a damper on it.

 

[WVduckchick]

I have all bantams, but several breeds, so I made smaller pens. Maybe you could do dividers in the current setup? Even cheap mesh netting is enough to keep the wrong roo from getting to the wrong hen. I keep my numbers low enough to avoid crowding, and shift more populous groups into the larger pens at times.
I also let them free-range in shifts. Only one group out at a time.

 

[WVduckchick]

Take lots of photos of your existing setup and maybe folks can help you find the easiest way to add on or make dividers etc. when the time comes for construction. This is an exciting project to start a breeding flock, don't let the logistics overwhelm you or put a damper on it.

x2 Great idea!

 

[lazy gardener]

Specifically, how many different breeds are you planning to keep, and are you planning to produce SQ, or PQ birds? Who will your target customers be?

Given your current set up, I suggest that you provide seperate housing for each breed of roo and his harem. Then, after breeding season, you could try turning the roos out on range together, WITHOUT THEIR LADIES, and see how they do. If they can come to an agreement to get along, perhaps you could then house them together in a bachelor pad, until the next breeding season rolls around.

The whole housing of the roos issue, along with the noise and the impracticality of keeping them in separate pens through my sub zero winters is my main reason for not wanting to keep separate breeds going. I have successfully kept 2 - 3 roos together in my flock with no roo fighting issues. The bigger issue is stress on the females when there is more than one cockerel in attendance.

I keep a single roo. (Just took out my Alpha EE (see the avatar pic) so my Buck Eye cockerel could take over flock duties. With that Buck Eye, I can produce: Buck Eye, Black Sex Link, Red Sex Link, and EE chicks. When he gets replaced a few years from now, I expect to replace him with an EE or Ameraucana. Hopefully, I will hatch a nice EE cockerel this spring who can stay on to learn the ropes from Goliath. (the Buck Eye)

 

[Wickedchicken6]

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...

May I ask how many roosters you are talking about?

From my experience, if you had two decently sized pens to keep the roosters so that one pen can hold the entire number of them. If you were to use roosters for breeding in groups and such, I agree with the previous posters that it's very difficult to reintegrate them into the same established pen they came from because of pecking order. However, if you have another pen, which is slightly different than the first...you move the breeding roosters back to the new pen and move everyone into pen #2, it's fresh for everyone and every rooster is one the same playing field. That works well for me.

I plan to do something different than all of the above. I plan to AI the hens. I only have the specific rooster out for collection (if I take him out at all) and you know the mating of each hen. Either that or bring specific hens to a pen to be bred. It's only once if it's successful. My roosters can stay in their area without disruption that way. I happen to be dealing with a larger number of roosters.

 

[BantyChooks]

If you wish to house birds together in winter, I would try leaving the breeding males in with the main flock for part of the day and then put them in with the hens you want to breed for the other part of the day. Keep the hens locked up all the time.

 

[BantyChooks]

I happen to be dealing with a larger number of roosters.

That's an understatement.

 

[lazy gardener]

Excellent suggestions.

 

[evergreendors]

May I ask how many roosters you are talking about?

From my experience, if you had two decently sized pens to keep the roosters so that one pen can hold the entire number of them. If you were to use roosters for breeding in groups and such, I agree with the previous posters that it's very difficult to reintegrate them into the same established pen they came from because of pecking order. However, if you have another pen, which is slightly different than the first...you move the breeding roosters back to the new pen and move everyone into pen #2, it's fresh for everyone and every rooster is one the same playing field. That works well for me.

I plan to do something different than all of the above. I plan to AI the hens. I only have the specific rooster out for collection (if I take him out at all) and you know the mating of each hen. Either that or bring specific hens to a pen to be bred. It's only once if it's successful. My roosters can stay in their area without disruption that way. I happen to be dealing with a larger number of roosters.

I'm talking 3 roosters, max. I think My brain is formulating a plan here...let me sort it out and I will report back when I get all the details ironed out and see if it will work! You guys have been a huge resource, thank you!