They are not entirely separated! It's a huge balancing act haha. I have two big runs that are separated, one with all the big chickens that currently has 5 boys and 2 babies that are probably boys, and one with most all of the bantams and babies/teenagers that currently has 4 boys. I have another coop with an attached run that will hold only my Belgian d'Anvers when things are all said and done, but right now it's holding 4 teenage birds (3 young boys and 1 young girl) and my pair (boy and girl) of lavender d'Anvers. And then I have the giant dog crate full of chicks 4 weeks or younger that has 3 d'Anver boys, 1 Olandsk Dwarf boy, and probably one bantam wheaten Ameraucana boy. Everyone really does get along well, they are all really good chickens that just aren't real aggressive or assertive so the pecking order so far has remained in tact. But out of all the boys, only 4 of them are over 1 year old. The rest are under 4 months, so we haven't battled too much yet--thus the first round of thinning! The ladies are the ones that care about the number of boys, so I wanted to keep that issue to a minimum for them haha.Oh @kurby22 Idk how you have kept it all together! Enjoy your "friday" and get some rest knowing you are doing what's best for you...the flock will settle down as they adjust.
But how on earth do you handle that many roos? Are they separate from your girls?
The d'Anvers will remain out of balance until I can show them in January at the Pacific Breeders show or May for the Sac County fair...then based on how they are judged I will rehome those that don't show well or are DQ'd. Figure that is the best way to train my eye...have judges judge them and tell me what is wrong and then I will know what to look for--since I'm a crazy visual learner! I think so far that they are a fun bird and seem to be nice and mostly friendly--they don't come close to as friendly as d'Uccles but showing clean legged birds is way way easier


I will say that it is NOT fun rehoming the boys that I can't keep though, so I am going to be very selective in any breeding plans going forward to limit this misery.


