What do you have in your flock?

[Mr Beaks]

Good to know! I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't tried anything so far. Our younger girls are one by one getting their heads ripped open by our roo. They are separated but keep flying over the partition fencing. This is the 3rd one!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Good to know! I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't tried anything so far. Our younger girls are one by one getting their heads ripped open by our roo. They are separated but keep flying over the partition fencing. This is the 3rd one!

Get some of that black plastic garden fencing and secure it across the top of the partition... they can't see it well and after running into it a couple times they should stop... it worked for our 'fence hoppers' and they don't get hurt or tangled... just a suggestion...

 

[Mr Beaks]

Excellent idea! I'm pretty sure they are old/big enough to be incorporated with the others but at this rate, IDK. They've been able to see each other for weeks on end so, am I causing the problem by keeping them apart? Got our 1st egg today and I think Mr. is just trying to mate. Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Excellent idea! I'm pretty sure they are old/big enough to be incorporated with the others but at this rate, IDK. They've been able to see each other for weeks on end so, am I causing the problem by keeping them apart? Got our 1st egg today and I think Mr. is just trying to mate. Sorry for all the questions.

Sounds like that is what he's trying to do, but they don't sound quite ready yet to me... I found that waiting til they are all laying and at sufficient body size to support the roo works better... from my observations not only do cockerels have hormone surges at 'puberty' but the pullets seem to attract the roos in a frenzy right at POL... just my observations though...

 

[Mr Beaks]

Thank you for your reply RavynFallen! I agree that most are not ready. One "flew the coop" while I was standing there and was immediately mounted. She was submissive and did not get wounded. My roo also spends a lot of time patrolling the divider and doing his wing dance. It definitely can't hurt to wait it out, better safe than sorry. Thanks again!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you for your reply RavynFallen! I agree that most are not ready. One "flew the coop" while I was standing there and was immediately mounted. She was submissive and did not get wounded. My roo also spends a lot of time patrolling the divider and doing his wing dance. It definitely can't hurt to wait it out, better safe than sorry. Thanks again!

You're very welcome!
Great observations and is good letting them show you when they are ready, so to speak, lol... sounds like you're doing great and good luck on getting it all worked out... if you ever have more questions, I don't mind a PM either, and if I don't know the answer I will say that and refer you to someone who might if possible...

 

[Eggscoozme]

Can never have enough chickens! If grocery bill is the limit then make sure you keep feeding more scraps and that way your grocery bill will always be higher and you can always get more chickens! I should stop being such a bad instigator of chicken math...

I like the way you think! That could be a problem.

On another note, since I've cooped up the chickens (5 coops) to save my gardens, their feed bill is like that in winter time. Not liking that. In hind sight, would have been cheaper to fence in gardens!

 

[ksandvig]

I have:
Buff Orphingtons(3)
Barred Rocks(3)
Silver Laced Wyondetta(2)
Black Austrolorps(3)
Golden Buff(1)
Delaware(1)
Black Jersey Giant(1)
Easter Egger (2 -4)
Silver Cuckoo Maran (1)
Olive Egger( 2-3)
Production Reds (2)

3 Ducks, Pekin, Cayuga, Mallard

2 Turkeys, Broad Breasted White

 

[Eggscoozme]

How's your Delaware?

 

[Sylvester017]

Sounds like that is what he's trying to do, but they don't sound quite ready yet to me... I found that waiting til they are all laying and at sufficient body size to support the roo works better... from my observations not only do cockerels have hormone surges at 'puberty' but the pullets seem to attract the roos in a frenzy right at POL... just my observations though...

Puberty, POL, in heat, in season -- all the same. The young ones don't quite know how to handle it well, can be rough. Our friends kept their cockerels separated out from the pullets and hens. I agree with you that the young are too inexperienced, still developing, and still maturing personality-wise. A breeder told me a couple years back that the eggs are too small yet from cockerel/pullet matings to produce good sized offspring - that waiting until 2 y/o is best or until after first adult molt when the mature bird can be assessed for quality breeding. Most breeder pen photos I see have the cockerels in their own pen, the pullets in their own pen, the roos in their own, the hens in their own, and then the separate selected breeding pairs/trios/or quads. These of course were breeders - don't know how backyarders do it.

IMO whether it's the human or the animal kingdom youngsters are unruly without separation or supervision. Case in point of a small herd of African juvenile males in the wild that went on a spree of tearing down trees, stampeding, fighting amongst themselves to dire injuries - and then an adult bull elephant was introduced to the juvenile herd and his presence calmed them down as he gently but firmly disciplined them into behaving around each other and around the environment - his presence alone immediately subdued them. Puppies or kittens or even duckling juvies can get out of hand but the parents manage to settle them down. I think it's the same with chicks/chickens - they need time to mature before integrating them into an adult lifestyle - also the other adults will train the newly introduced birds - my thinking is putting all mixed sex juvenile birds together is like a teenage party gone amuck where there's no supervision around. JMHO.