When to separate out cockerels

[HennyPenny44]

I generally separate at 12 weeks any cockerel I won't be keeping. They will become food in about a month's time. I can fatten them up and have them spend more time eating and less energy chasing everyone around. By that age, I can be pretty certain of which are boys, too. At six weeks, you might not have *all* the boys pegged yet. Single cockerels or possible breeding birds stay with the flock. At 12 weeks, there *usually* isn't too much in the way of behavior problems, but every now and then a super precocious cockerel pops out and is already causing trouble. Those I will separate and eat as early as possible. At six weeks, a little rivalry between the chicks is normal and unlikely to result in injury. Mom is still mothering them, but she's not going to treat them like babies. I'd let her handle this part and in another 6-12 weeks, depending on your goals, separate them according to what you have in mind for them. If you do choose to separate them now, they'll be fine. I've seen chicks as young as three weeks dumped by their mothers and, as part of an existing flock, they got along well.

That sounds like a good strategy. I have 2 that I know are cockerels but there’s still 1 or perhaps 2 maybes. So yeah, it could change. I’m actually looking forward to eating my first home grown chickens and just want the most stress free situation for all of my flock members until the boys are processed.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

That sounds like a good strategy. I have 2 that I know are cockerels but there’s still 1 or perhaps 2 maybes. So yeah, it could change. I’m actually looking forward to eating my first home grown chickens and just want the most stress free situation for all of my flock members until the boys are processed.

I have a set of 17 now that are 8-9 weeks old. Yesterday I swore I had 6 boys and 11 girls. This morning I looked closer and now I think I have *maybe* six girls, maybe only five, and 11-12 boys. It's a larger clutch than I usually have and I've been aching to take some out, but I'm glad I stuck my guns and waited.

 

[HennyPenny44]

I have a set of 17 now that are 8-9 weeks old. Yesterday I swore I had 6 boys and 11 girls. This morning I looked closer and now I think I have *maybe* six girls, maybe only five, and 11-12 boys. It's a larger clutch than I usually have and I've been aching to take some out, but I'm glad I stuck my guns and waited.

Wow, that’s a major reversal. What breeds are they?

With my Speckled Sussexes, the boys have more white on their chests, larger, more upright bodies, thicker legs and larger combs. They’re also play fighting each other every day now. The maybe doesn’t have the thick legs and larger comb yet so I’m keeping my eye on him/her.

 

[Parront]

Wow, that’s a major reversal. What breeds are they?

With my Speckled Sussexes, the boys have more white on their chests, larger, more upright bodies, thicker legs and larger combs. They’re also play fighting each other every day now. The maybe doesn’t have the thick legs and larger comb yet so I’m keeping my eye on him/her.

Some breeds are a lot easier than others. The Barred Hollands, easy to tell at 3 weeks, and some can tell at hatch so they tell me, I can't. I got some Welbars in the last order, they are super easy to tell at hatch, like Cream Legbars. They might be my new favorites, the males are large and meaty looking now at 6 weeks old. I will be testing the smaller one out in a few more weeks. Might have to change roosters and keep the larger one. Then the cockerels will be separated out at hatch.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Wow, that’s a major reversal. What breeds are they?

With my Speckled Sussexes, the boys have more white on their chests, larger, more upright bodies, thicker legs and larger combs. They’re also play fighting each other every day now. The maybe doesn’t have the thick legs and larger comb yet so I’m keeping my eye on him/her.

They're a mixed bunch, OE and Marans over several things. A handful were really obvious boys early on, others are just now getting pinker. Some are obviously girls but some will leave me guessing for awhile. My flock is mixed and I like it that way, but I try to select for single combs that make it easier to see and early maturity so I know who is who earlier on. I am looking to grow out 2-3 boys from this group, but these later maturing boys are not going to make the cut for that reason.

 

[HennyPenny44]

Some breeds are a lot easier than others. The Barred Hollands, easy to tell at 3 weeks, and some can tell at hatch so they tell me, I can't. I got some Welbars in the last order, they are super easy to tell at hatch, like Cream Legbars. They might be my new favorites, the males are large and meaty looking now at 6 weeks old. I will be testing the smaller one out in a few more weeks. Might have to change roosters and keep the larger one. Then the cockerels will be separated out at hatch.

I never heard of Barred Hollands until you mentioned them so I looked them up. They look a lot like Barred Rocks and I know those can be sexed based on a dot on their heads...or something like that. I had a Barred Rock but I gave her away because she was so bossy all the time to my now dead Speckled Sussex...wouldn’t let her eat, drink or even share the run with her. But I miss the barred feathering. It was so pretty and so is the Barred Holland’s. And yeah, I feel bad but my cockerels are starting to look delicious...like little Cornish game hens.

 

[HennyPenny44]

They're a mixed bunch, OE and Marans over several things. A handful were really obvious boys early on, others are just now getting pinker. Some are obviously girls but some will leave me guessing for awhile. My flock is mixed and I like it that way, but I try to select for single combs that make it easier to see and early maturity so I know who is who earlier on. I am looking to grow out 2-3 boys from this group, but these later maturing boys are not going to make the cut for that reason.

Yeah, I heard enough about health issues with some purebred birds that I would think the mixed breeds would have better vigor. Plus it must be fun having some unique looking birds.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Yeah, I heard enough about health issues with some purebred birds that I would think the mixed breeds would have better vigor. Plus it must be fun having some unique looking birds.

I do like the variety that pops out each hatch.

There isn't just one breed I like. Keeping purebred birds to sell or for my own sake isn't a priority, either. Chickens reproduce fast enough to pick and choose what I want and my flock can become something new in little time at all. I can change my mind and do something different next year. I think it's one of the most enjoyable parts of keeping them.

 

[Parront]

I never heard of Barred Hollands until you mentioned them so I looked them up. They look a lot like Barred Rocks and I know those can be sexed based on a dot on their heads...or something like that. I had a Barred Rock but I gave her away because she was so bossy all the time to my now dead Speckled Sussex...wouldn’t let her eat, drink or even share the run with her. But I miss the barred feathering. It was so pretty and so is the Barred Holland’s. And yeah, I feel bad but my cockerels are starting to look delicious...like little Cornish game hens.

I like the Barred Hollands, I wish mine laid a larger egg, though. The Leghorns lay bigger eggs, but the Hollands are very sweet and mild mannered birds, a much nicer layer for a mixed flock in my opinion. The White Rocks I have are the dominant hens. They are good layers, nice big brown eggs, but some people do not like them due to their personality. They are from Ideal hatchery. The Hollands are from a private breeder, so that is what makes them nicer, the home breeder will not keep an aggressive bird, but the hatchery does not select on the basis of their personality, only how many eggs are laid!
Here is my rooster, Randy, and a couple of his Barred Holland girls.

 

[Parront]

I never heard of Barred Hollands until you mentioned them so I looked them up. They look a lot like Barred Rocks and I know those can be sexed based on a dot on their heads...or something like that. I had a Barred Rock but I gave her away because she was so bossy all the time to my now dead Speckled Sussex...wouldn’t let her eat, drink or even share the run with her. But I miss the barred feathering. It was so pretty and so is the Barred Holland’s. And yeah, I feel bad but my cockerels are starting to look delicious...like little Cornish game hens.

These are the Welbar chicks, the male has a very noticeable dot on his head. The Barred Hollands both sexes have dots on their heads, but the male's is supposed to be bigger. I just could not see any difference. By 3 - 4 weeks old the male Barred Hollands were much lighter and you could easily pick them out. If I did not want to keep raising them I could have separated them out at that age. I split the order, and the ones I gave to my partner were the most definite males at 3 weeks, all were male that I gave her, 6 boys & 6 girls. I raised the rest of my males, and they started getting processed at about 10 weeks, due to space and they were starting to crow.
The second pic is the first one of the Hollands boys ready to be eaten. You can see how small he was compared to the Morton salt container. ~2 pounds. I cooked him in the crockpot with rice and mushroom soup, classic chicken dinner at our house. Better than a store bird for that use, does not turn to mush after 6 hours in the pot, but falls off the bone, finger lickin' good! Lot of pin feathers on this guy -- his brothers got to go another 2 weeks.