HUGEPurplePuppy
Chirping
Hello, I'm planning on getting chicks very soon and am trying to decided what to do. I'm ordering from Hover's Hatchery and have chosen quite the variety. I have 14 hens that I'm planning to order and 1 rooster. I also already have 8 adult hens. I don't really want two roosters, but that might be what I get.
I really really really want a Cochin. I had a Cochin rooster when I was younger and I really love them. The problem is that HH only has Cochin's for sale unsexed, so I have a 50/50 of getting another rooster. Of course there is also always the possibility one of my other 'hens' turn out to be roosters.
I have an 85 square foot coop with a 286 square foot run. I plan on expanding the coop this spring/summer by 12-26 sqft (12-16 sqft more likely, but we'll see how it goes). The run is secure so (when it's not freezing outside) I plan on just leaving the door out into the run open so they can freely enter/exit. I also plan on free ranging (part of the reason I want a rooster). If I had to, I also could move the food containers outside to give about 20 sqft more space inside the coop, but I would really prefer not to.
So am I doomed to fail if I risk this unsexed Cochin? Or is there something I can easily change to make it work?
Also, if worst comes to worst and the roosters don't mingle well, will one rooster be okay on its own? I have a large enough property that I could probably make him his own little home decently far away from the rest of the flock, but I don't know if I would be able to free range him due to how far it seems these girls like to wander.
I really really really want a Cochin. I had a Cochin rooster when I was younger and I really love them. The problem is that HH only has Cochin's for sale unsexed, so I have a 50/50 of getting another rooster. Of course there is also always the possibility one of my other 'hens' turn out to be roosters.
I have an 85 square foot coop with a 286 square foot run. I plan on expanding the coop this spring/summer by 12-26 sqft (12-16 sqft more likely, but we'll see how it goes). The run is secure so (when it's not freezing outside) I plan on just leaving the door out into the run open so they can freely enter/exit. I also plan on free ranging (part of the reason I want a rooster). If I had to, I also could move the food containers outside to give about 20 sqft more space inside the coop, but I would really prefer not to.
So am I doomed to fail if I risk this unsexed Cochin? Or is there something I can easily change to make it work?
Also, if worst comes to worst and the roosters don't mingle well, will one rooster be okay on its own? I have a large enough property that I could probably make him his own little home decently far away from the rest of the flock, but I don't know if I would be able to free range him due to how far it seems these girls like to wander.