The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Rhinoman]

Sounds like most of you remove your hens and place them in breeding pens with males. Than after breeding season finished return hens to normal housing. Doesn't the change of housing effect the hens laying? How long before you start collecting eggs do you put the hen in the pen (couldn't resist)?

 

[RedRidge]

I moved mine into 4 different pens. .. ironically I had more eggs the next day out of 8 hens than I had had. Ate the eggs gathered the first 48 hrs. .. set the next 8 in the bator. 9 days after setting I candled all 8 and they are all viable and growing.
I have no problems at all re combining all the girls late spring, they don't miss a beat. But I'm not so keen on re combining the roos. I have done it... Always at night taken from one rosy to the other... And had no problems. But... I tend to have a little bit more of a survival of the first attitude than most. Also, I always have replacements. This year i have only 2 roos of each breed so I'm being a little more cautious about where they go for the summer and fall since I have plans to use 2 of the 4 again next year.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Sounds like most of you remove your hens and place them in breeding pens with males. Than after breeding season finished return hens to normal housing. Doesn't the change of housing effect the hens laying? How long before you start collecting eggs do you put the hen in the pen (couldn't resist)?

I did not get eggs for a while when I put my hens in the breeding pens, less than a week though. The first eggs were not fertile so I added the breeding rooster to the breeding pens. Had the eggs been fertile I would have had to wait it out for up to 30 days from the research posted a while back in this thread.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I wait for a least 3 weeks when I put the boy and girls I'm using a breeders, but I think the longer the better.

 

[MumsyII]

Hello everyone.
Been a while since I have logged in. I have been very ill since around Thanksgiving. My boy has made sure that the birds have been fed and watered.
I hope to get back going soon, but most likely won't be doing any thing but maintaining my flock for a while. No big plans for large hatches.
I need to spend a few hours catching up on the thread, it sure looks as though it has been active. Hope all is well with y'all and your birds.

Ron

I've been gone a while for illness too. Starting around the same time. Still not 100% but I'm still alive. Glad to see you here again.

I have two of your pullets that lay every day. Without out fail for a couple months now. I just hatched my first chicks from them a couple days ago! They look great! I don't keep lights on in the barn. They free range everyday. I just set the twelve eggs to see if they were fertile. Seven hatched right on schedule. Put another dozen eggs in today. Even with just two pullets laying, I hope to build my flock up with good birds by Spring. I love your strain Ron. Love these birds.

My first hatch for 2014. Two more hatched after I took the picture. Chicks are five hours old.

 

[Matt1616]

Cmom, were you at the Lake City Show? If so...I missed you some how.

Matt

 

[Rancher3535]

My breeding pens have removable partitions which convert the entire thing to a large grow out pen. So. .. One large own instead of 4 smaller ones. What I need to do is getting my husband to build me another set of breeding pens do I have something to divide up and use for roos. ;-)
Think he'll go for it?
I'm thinking not this year. LOL

Be great to see a picture of it. I am thinking of redoing mine this summer. Always looking for new ideas.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I have nesting boxes that attach to the back corner of each pen, I simply haven't put them in yet since there are no hens in the pens right now, only cockerels.

The overall dimensions of the entire thing is 6x12
it is 4' high at the back and 5' high at the front.
So each pen is 3x6.
Perfect for a pair. .. possibly doable for a trio.
Too small for 4 birds.

There are more pictures in various threads but this is the one I found.

 

[chixmix]

There are more pictures in various threads but this is the one I found.

Wow, those are nice. Bet they weren't cheap to build either!!

 

[RedRidge]

Cost less than $250
I believe there are...
(17) 12' 2x4s
(1) 4x8 plywood
(1) 50' roll of 3' hardware cloth - $38
(1) 50' roll of 2' hardware cloth - $27
(3) sheets roofing - $50
(16) "L" brackets
(8) pairs hinges
(4) hook and eye

We have between $200-250 in it... Not including the clear vinyl that I attached to the back and sides with Velcro for nights when it gets below 30 degrees. .. I just roll the sides up each morning.
I take the vinyl all the way off and take out the plywood partitions to use as a grow out pen in the summer