Two flock question

[LaFleche]

10 weeks is the latest I separate the males from the females, sometimes it has to be even earlier as the cockerels start to bully the pullets keeping them from the feeders and I have seen them trying to mate their hatch mates and mother hens at the early age of 5 weeks.

Watch them closely and act accordingly to prevent stress and injuries.

 

[Mrs. K]

When you have multiple roos growing up, this is how I do it. I have an old coop that is separate. Anything I don't like for whatever reason - goes there. That is the first cut. One year I had 7 cockerels and a mature rooster. The original plan was to keep the best cockerel.

I sent 4 to the old coop, when I could feel the tension in the flock rising. Things were being chased just a little too often, birds were being run off the feed bowl. Birds were on the roost just a bit too much.

This allowed me to look at the three boys left and the mature rooster. One puffed up with me, sent him to the boys. 2 left - I waited a week and pulled the last one.

But then, I just really liked my older rooster, and in the end, I kept him. The girls liked him best.

It is fun to think about this and plan...but really you just have to go down to the coop each day, check things, and adjust.

Mrs K