Trina's Growing Flock - Pondering Seperation and Management

[TrinaChic]

I'm new to chicken raising. I started my flock with a few Rhode Island Reds 2 years ago. Egg production and management was easy and my flock is pretty much always healthy. Then I added a few White Plymouth Rocks. Then I traded the goat for a few Rhode Island Red x Lemon Orpington Crosses. Everyone was a hen so I had no rooster/ fertile egg issues.

Last week there was an add in the local paper for 20+ free fancy/rare breed chickens. I must have been the first one to call because I got a flock of chickens that included:

6 silkies (2 roosters)
1 Appenzer Rooster
4 Polish
5 Brahama Bantam
1 Americana
and a few more unidentified possible Barnevelders, Wyandotte, or Cornish Hens.














I love my flock and my coop setup but I would like to separate the 6 silkies from the others and I would like to separate the Appenzer Rooster from the rest of my egg laying flock. (maybe I should get rid of him all together?)

So, my first question is this - should I wait until spring to separate the chickens? I'm not really into the idea of fertile eggs, but is that really an issue?

Second question - If I separate the silkies out, do they hatch their own eggs?

Thanks in advance for all your help, I'm sure I'll have a serious amount of questions as my flock grows

--Trina

 

[mymilliefleur]

Welcome!

I would wait in till spring to breed your silkies, when the weather is warmer.

yes, the silkies can hatch their own chicks. they are exselent mothers.

fertile eggs are perfectly edible, so I would go ahead and keep your rooster.

you have an exeselent selection of chickens! keep us posted on how things go!

 

[teach1rusl]

Most people would have no idea whether the egg they're eating is fertilized or not. Keeping a rooster (or three in your case) does mean you'll need to collect eggs daily if you end up with anyone broody, so you don't end up with chicks (especially at the wrong time of year).

If the rest of your flock seems to treat the silkies well, I think you'll be fine waiting till spring to fix a special pen. Silkies generally make excellent mothers. But remember, appx. half of the chicks you hatche will end up being male, so you need to have a plan in place of what you'll do with all of the "extra" roosters...