I have six that are all between 8 months and a year and are healthy and laying great. I am getting 2 of yours from Ron. 1 Java, and 1 Buckeye. I am kind of excited! They are beautiful birds! Sorry, he is a little closer than you.
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Yes, I only let out one flock at a time. However, I do have multiple roo's in each flock. It works best when they are hatched and raised together, however, I don't tolerate mean roo's. If they are mean, they are outta here! If there is enough space and enough ladies, you can have more than one roo even if they are not raised together. You will end up with an alpha roo who is the main man, a beta roo who helps stay on the look out in guarding the ladies, helps find them food, and may occasionly get lucky with a girl or two, but only when the alpha roo isn't looking.... The 3rd roo on the dominance list and those under him if you have more than 3, really don't get much action with the ladies as the more dominant roo's won't let them partake in any rooster roles. Upon introducing a new roo to a flock, the alpha roo will definently put him in his place a time or two. I generally tend to add young cockerels in to an existing flock, so that they will submit to alpha roo and not challenge him. But I usually wait until they are almost full size....usually around 16-20 weeks.
For breeding, I would probably want 5 ladies or less for each roo, to have the best chances at fertility. More ladies than that, and the roo picks his favorite few and ignores the rest of them.
I highly suggest letting the roo live with his flock. It benefits them all, ESPECIALLY if they are free ranging, because the roo's really do guard the flock well. Maybe fence off 3 different sections of your free range area to let all 3 flocks be able to run? The only reason I don't let the flocks run together, is I want to have pure eggs at all times and haven't been able to fence off different area's for free ranging, although that is in my plan eventually. I don't worry so much about the roo's fighting, as I do that the wrong roo jumps the wrong breed lady and then I have mixed eggs......HTH!
Dont blame ya there one bit... mays well do it "big" first shot...hahaha -- I'm almost wondering if I should pass that Stall idea to my mother, since she's been designing the Mansion Coop... since we have our lil Bantams & some will be possible show.... we were just going to have it in 2 sections... Suite 1 & Suite 2... Layers in one & the Bantams in the other... then the one she's going to order as a temp coop, use later as the Brooding House.. But i'm almost thinking that set up would be better.... but then again.. that would be bigger than the one she's planning I think... so may not work with all the trees still left on the main part of the property --
The Big building previously was used as a Coop - but is being used as a Tool Shed, the other is a Duck House... The Duck house will be tore down & replaced with the newly built Coop..
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