Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[sdm111]

And sometimes.if one starts setting in the same pen they start fighting and I'll pull the setting hen cause if u pull the non setting hen the cock may try to breed the setting hen in the box since he isn't getting no lovin and hurt her and bust the eggs up

 

[sdm111]

So my answer too all the drama is dedicated Broody hens or incubators preferably hens

 

[roosterhavoc]

Meaning once you separate one from the trio for setting, she cannot go back into the same trio pen?  

I've done it once. With this very same trio. You gotta watch em carefully. I get in the pen with em for awhile and freak them out. Same as chicks. It worked before but pretty sure it ain't gonna happen again. No worries I don't particularly like this dark hen anyway. Was gonna cull her awhile ago. Too nervous for my taste.

 

[roosterhavoc]

 

[roosterhavoc]

And sometimes.if one starts setting in the same pen they start fighting and I'll pull the setting hen cause if u pull the non setting hen the cock may try to breed the setting hen in the box since he isn't getting no lovin and hurt her and bust the eggs up

That's why I pulled her. He was starting to mess with her with the other hen in there anyway.

 

[centrarchid]

To get around aggression issues associated with breeding pens I do not even attempt trios. I am also keen on single mating so as to know maternity as well as paternity of all chicks. Each hen is given her own pen with a covered and / elevated nest. Hens to be bred to same cock are staged together in a row with pens spaced about 18" apart. Hens are thoroughly conditioned prior to introduction of cock which usually takes about 2 weeks. Hens that are ready behave subtully different so that you can tell and cock certainly can. Hens that fail to condition are culled unless deemed challenged by advanced age or molt, Then I place cock in first pen for 24 hours so he can cover her. The following morning before feeding most pens, I feed hen in next pen to receive cock, then I release him and direct him to that pen where he promptly enters and covers second hen. Process is repeated every 24 hours until last pen in row then cock directed back to first pen in row. A given hen seldom gets lovin more that four times per cycle with this setup.

Once a hen gets about 6 eggs in nest the cock is no longer let in with her and she usually goes to setting by the time she gets a dozen eggs in the nest, usually by time clutch size reaches 10 eggs. Once all hens at six eggs or more cock is placed in his own pen so hens can incubate in piece.

I can get away with keeping multiple hens together but can not add just two together. Multiple hen groups have be realized in pens if all put in at same time with a fully mature cock. Considerable fighting will ensue but cock stops it by thumping all combatants. Cock needs to be settled in before addition of hens. Stags not good for that with possible exception of some bullstags. Hens that do not have sense to back down can get damaged pretty quick so be ready to step in for that.






Some (most) cocks can be left with hens without excessive loving on hens although chicks do better without being around all the feces. Some cocks are problematic and scrutenized more closely for reasons not to include those in breeding program. As hens begin imprinting on broods the pens are spread out and often removed to allow hens to come of nest. Sometimes fighting occurs when hens not sufficiently dispersed. Actually almost always some fighting, but usually resolved quickly. Fighting usually worse when one hen very near hatching off a brood.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Nice eyes.

I got 4 almost identical stags like this one.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I only single mate. They are just living together. I only hatched eggs from the best two miners I have. These two were the first to lay eggs but we're both flighty and nervous, despite plenty of handling. The two I have chicks off of are considerably more aggressive to other birds and much more calm with me.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I wanted to let them mature a little more to see if they calmed down any. The answer is not a chance.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Correction. I also bred the black miner with the grey colored miner too. So 3 out of 6.