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It also depends on the individual pens. Certain birds are crest dippers and always look like crap, some of the boys are super rough and all their girls will never be in condition, some colors can't be in direct sunlight or they bleach.....
I give my babies plenty of room in the growout pens. I pull the cockerels to a separate bachelor pen as soon as I can tell sex. On the adults, all my pens are separated by color. When the incubators are off, I separate the males out of the pens to give the poor girls a rest. Good nutrition, don't overcrowd your pens, and keep things clean..... After chores are done, take the time to just watch and get your hands on the birds too. You can catch problems before they get out of hand. Some like wire cages, some like huge outdoor pens, some only like tiny breeder cages big enough for a pair of birds. Some people only clean their pens twice a year and some are in there daily. Some people never medicate their birds and others overdo it. Its not rocket science... You just have to find what works for you.
I have to say, your daughter is beautiful, thank you for posting the pictures. I understand the boys going to the bachelor pen. Do they stay there until you give them some girls that are old enough and/or laying? My current dilema is that I have so few birds that my bachelor pen would be just 1 lonely cockerel. His future g/f is currently housed with another pullet so it's a matter of who gets left out in the cold, alone. Or, I could put the 3 together and pull the white girl once they start laying (as the others are partridge and won't be in the same breeding pen). I could put the partridge pair together and try the white pullet with my 5 juvies, or my older white pair that is laying. When I was raising dogs and cats, it seemed simpler. My goats and horses too. I think I'm being a bit over protective and I don't want to do the wrong thing (I'm sure I'll make my share of mistakes).
I really appreciate this thread.
Thank you,
Julie
Lemmie chime in cause I'm a big mouth
If the girls aren't laying and you want to put the lone cockerel in with his future gf plus the other girlie I don't see the problem in pulling the extra girl when they start laying. I try not to keep any of my birdies alone it seems to stress them out from what I've seen. Unless I have one that is sick or maybe sick then they get moved in the house where they can see us and I also try to dig up a stuffed animal to pop in there with them haha I'm a softie.
It also depends on the individual pens. Certain birds are crest dippers and always look like crap, some of the boys are super rough and all their girls will never be in condition, some colors can't be in direct sunlight or they bleach.....
I give my babies plenty of room in the growout pens. I pull the cockerels to a separate bachelor pen as soon as I can tell sex. On the adults, all my pens are separated by color. When the incubators are off, I separate the males out of the pens to give the poor girls a rest. Good nutrition, don't overcrowd your pens, and keep things clean..... After chores are done, take the time to just watch and get your hands on the birds too. You can catch problems before they get out of hand. Some like wire cages, some like huge outdoor pens, some only like tiny breeder cages big enough for a pair of birds. Some people only clean their pens twice a year and some are in there daily. Some people never medicate their birds and others overdo it. Its not rocket science... You just have to find what works for you.
I have to say, your daughter is beautiful, thank you for posting the pictures. I understand the boys going to the bachelor pen. Do they stay there until you give them some girls that are old enough and/or laying? My current dilema is that I have so few birds that my bachelor pen would be just 1 lonely cockerel. His future g/f is currently housed with another pullet so it's a matter of who gets left out in the cold, alone. Or, I could put the 3 together and pull the white girl once they start laying (as the others are partridge and won't be in the same breeding pen). I could put the partridge pair together and try the white pullet with my 5 juvies, or my older white pair that is laying. When I was raising dogs and cats, it seemed simpler. My goats and horses too. I think I'm being a bit over protective and I don't want to do the wrong thing (I'm sure I'll make my share of mistakes).
I really appreciate this thread.
Thank you,
Julie
Lemmie chime in cause I'm a big mouth
