Who should go where? - sort of a classic riddle

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I need somre management advice.

I currently have a chicken coop with a spacious run which currently houses 7 mature hens (room for 10 - 11).

I have 3, 8 week old pullets currently housed in my 4'X8' mini-van coop with an attached 6'X12' run which recently finished houseing 25 11-week old Freedom Ranger meat chickens that are now in the freezer. I'm waiting for the pullets to be old enough to introduce to the hens, but they were getting too big for their brooder, plus I needed it for new chicks.




I have 14 17-week old DP roosters who I thought I'd be done with by now in an adequate grow-out pen and 8, 10 week-old bourbon red turkeys in a smalish run. I hope to have help butchering some of the roosters this coming week, but I doubt we'll do them all because some are still pretty darn small.

Both the turkey run and the rooster run can be opened into my large (100'X75') dog run and lately I've been allowing the roosters and turkeys access to the big run from about 9AM - 2PM, where upon the roosters go back into their little run and the turkeys and hens are allowed out to free range for several hours while my dog guards the property from his run.

I also have 40 3-week-old Freedom Ranger chicks in two brooders in the garage who are getting very crowded looking. So there is my delemna.

Can the 8 week old pullets go in with the hens, so that I can use the mini-van coop for some or all of the Freedom Ranger chicks? Would it be better to reduce crowding by putting some of the 3 week old FRs in with the 8 week old pullet chicks? Should I just be done with the roosters, regardless of their size so that either the pullets or FRs can use the grow out pen with the others in the mini-van coop? Should I just leave everyone where they are, maybe trying to enlarge the garage brooder for a few more weeks?

I thought I had the summer rotation worked out in advance, but these darn roosters are taking so long to put on any meat that I'm finding myself with a problem. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Mrs. K]

Over crowding leads to ugly problems, and health issues.

Really, I think that the turkey's are holding up the schedule, I think I would take notes for next year, and butcher them small or not.

I don't like over crowded birds....... and really we are about 12 weeks from possible bad winter, which will really put pressure on your set up.

I think those 40 freedom rangers are going to need a lot more space in a lot less time....... I think the turkeys and roosters would need to go. Chalk it up to experience.

Mrs K

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Thanks Ms. K. I think you mean that the roosters are holding up the schedule. They were a mistake. I found them locally and thought it would be an economical alternative to a batch of meat birds, but their sloooooooow growth rate has put the rest of the summer schedule off.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I normally integrate my chicks with the main flock at 8 weeks, but I have lots of room and they are raised next to the adults across wire from hatch. Also, they sleep in a separate coop until they are about 12 weeks old, then after they are fully integrated I move them into the spacious main coop. It sounds like your space for the adult hens may be a bit tight since you say it has a capacity of 10 to 11. If your run is truly spacious you might try integrating the young ones, but there is a real chance it might not go well with tight space. Your biggest risk could be at night as they are settling down to sleep or in the morning when they all wake up and they are still locked in that coop where the small ones can’t get away. Maybe use a small “coop” of some sort for them to sleep separately while sharing the run?

I understand about some DP cockerels being small at 17 weeks. I try real hard to wait until 18 weeks for any of them and wait even longer for many. I still think that is your best solution though, put them all in the freezer. That at least gives you some flexibility.

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, I meant the dp roosters

 

[donrae]

I'd start butchering roosters. Maybe not all of them, but at least thin them out a bit.

You can try putting the 2 month olds in with the mature hens, or you can try putting the 3 week olds in with the 8 week olds. I have a 4 week old chick in a grow-out pen with 8ish week birds and one 3 month cockerel, everyone's getting along fine. Little squirt eats last, but he does get to eat enough. My temps are mild enough I don't run a lamp at night for anyone out there, you may need to give heat an night for your littles depending on your temps.

Can the dog run be used full time for a grow-out pen? I don't know how much you need it for the dog?

Either putting the 2 months in with the bigs, or the 3 weeks with the 2 months, you might consider rigging some type of creep feeder or area the smaller birds can get away from the larger. If that's not feasible, just hiding places to break line of sight. I have a 6 foot long, 2 foot wide piece of particle board laying against a wall of the grow out pen, for smaller birds to hide behind from bigs.

Let us know how it turns out, now I'm interested!

 

[boyswillbeboys]

I'd start butchering the larger roosters, I can do 5 alone in the morning, I could conceivably do 10 alone in a day, but that is hard work, and I'm tired after 5.

Since they are together during part of the day anyway, can the turkies go in with the rest of the roosters, and put the pullets in the Turkey run, the Rangers could then go in the Pullet's grow out pen, Then once the hens get used to seeing them in the pen, they can be introduced during free range time, before eventually all pullets and hens get put into the same run at night.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I'd start butchering the larger roosters, I can do 5 alone in the morning, I could conceivably do 10 alone in a day, but that is hard work, and I'm tired after 5.

Since they are together during part of the day anyway, can the turkies go in with the rest of the roosters, and put the pullets in the Turkey run, the Rangers could then go in the Pullet's grow out pen, Then once the hens get used to seeing them in the pen, they can be introduced during free range time, before eventually all pullets and hens get put into the same run at night.

I'd be reluctant to put the turkeys in with the rest of the roosters. The rooster's night-time shelter is low to the ground and somewhat small while the turkey's night-time shelter is about three feet off the ground and they actually jump up into it in the evening, and all I have to do is close the door rather than run around shooing them down from higher roosting spots like I had to do with my turkeys last summer before I built the new turkey shelter. We have enough predators here that I feel like everyone needs to be securely inside at night.

I'm going to start butchering the roosters, a few a day as time permits. I think I might try putting 8 - 10 of the young Freedom Rangers in with my 8 week old pullets this afternoon and see how everyone does. The mini-van coop and run are spaceous enough that they should be able to cope OK (fingers crossed) and keep to their own corners if necessary and it will alleviate crowding in the garage brooders untill the weekend when I can finish the roosters. I guess one or two of the smallest roosters ones could probably live with the hens for a week or two if absolutely necessary.

Just finishing my lunch and will head out there now. Wish me luck.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

So I only got one rooster butchered thisafternoon because it started raining pretty hard. After it stopped, I went out to do some more thinking and came up with a solution that may buy me the time I need until I can process the rest of the roosters. My chicken 4'X8' chickencoop is raised about 25" off the ground. There is run space under the coop plus an attached 6'X12" run. All of this is built inside an open-fronted garage/outbuilding that was on our property when we purchased it. (see photo).



I have since added an additional 300 square feet of exterior, uncovered run that my hens have accesss to most days. I decided to use chicken wire to section off the run that is under the chicken coop and use it for the 3, 8 week old pullet chicks. I placed a plastic airline style dog crate under there too with a deep layer of pine shavings. This way they can visit with the hens on the other side of the fence for a few weeks, and then I can try letting them mingle.

I then transfered 16 of the 3 week old Freedom Rangers out of the two brooders in the garage into the mini-van coop. There is more than enough room in the mini-van for 16 and now each brooder is down to 12, which looks much better, space wise. I have a heat lamp out there tonight, since the FRs haven't fully feathered out yet.

When I went out to check a few moments ago, the pullets were snuggled down in the back of the dog crate and all the Freedom Ranger chicks seemed settled in and content. I can move more FRs into the van if necessary, but I think this will work until I get the roosters out of the grow out pen.

 

[donrae]

Glad you found a good solution