Back up roosters

[NagemTX]

Question for those that keep back up roosters for breeding. Do you keep the back up by their self? If so are they far away from the girls or is the pen right next to the girls pen? How big is the pen or how big should it be. Not sure I'll have enough for a batchelor pen and while I've had very good luck with roosters getting along (even with removing from and placing back into the flocks) i know there will come a time when that norm for me will change. I just want to be prepared for if I need to keep the back ups separate.

 

[Debbie292d]

We have a breeding pen with five hens and the two roosters in right now I want the chicks to be from.

The others free range with the rest and sleep in the main coop. They all get along for the most part. There will be a fight now and then but nothing drastic. Our border collie usually breaks those up.

As far as size of pen, we try stay with the 10 square foot per bird rule. (We're building four more.) I know some keep their breeding pairs in cages. We will not do that.

 

[NagemTX]

We have a breeding pen with five hens and the two roosters in right now I want the chicks to be from.

The others free range with the rest and sleep in the main coop. They all get along for the most part. There will be a fight now and then but nothing drastic. Our border collie usually breaks those up.

As far as size of pen, we try stay with the 10 square foot per bird rule. (We're building four more.) I know some keep their breeding pairs in cages. We will not do that.

I don't like the cages. I would not use them for long term housing but rather for show conditioning. If I had them I would want them in the same pen the chicken was from that was going to show. I really hate shuffling them around or separating them for longer than a day or so.

So an 8*8 would be about 64 sqft and that would be about six birds.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I just want to be prepared for if I need to keep the back ups separate.

A relative or close friend that's interested in the same breed is an option.

 

[SourRoses]

It's the most pesky part of breeding.

This year my hatches just happened to be really staggered, so I ended up with substantially different age groups.
It didn't quite work out because I didn't time it on purpose, but I almost got done using the first to mature before the second to mature started, all in one flock.
So it gave me the idea for the future to select just 1 male per every 3 months of hatching. Basically the same survival rate after culling anyway, but spread out in age rather than clumped together.
Just a matter of getting the timing perfect. And it won't work if I need more than 4. But for my current purposes, it might. As soon as I get a couple hatches from each roo, they can go bye-bye to make room for the next.

 

[NagemTX]

It's the most pesky part of breeding.

This year my hatches just happened to be really staggered, so I ended up with substantially different age groups.
It didn't quite work out because I didn't time it on purpose, but I almost got done using the first to mature before the second to mature started, all in one flock.
So it gave me the idea for the future to select just 1 male per every 3 months of hatching. Basically the same survival rate after culling anyway, but spread out in age rather than clumped together.
Just a matter of getting the timing perfect. And it won't work if I need more than 4. But for my current purposes, it might. As soon as I get a couple hatches from each roo, they can go bye-bye to make room for the next.

The going bye-bye for the roo kinda makes me not want to breed and just have them. I love my Phoenix and Silver Spitzhauben roosters. I could let others go tho. I'll have to think about it and really narrow down what I want.

 

[SourRoses]

The going bye-bye for the roo kinda makes me not want to breed and just have them. I love my Phoenix and Silver Spitzhauben roosters. I could let others go tho. I'll have to think about it and really narrow down what I want.

Understandable!
I just keep thinking about that one day perfect roo...

 

[NagemTX]

Understandable!
I just keep thinking about that one day perfect roo...

Personality wise both King (Phoenix) and Sultan (Spitzhauben) are the best I've had. The Lavender Ameraucana is OK, Hes great with me and well all people but sometimes hes not great with the hens. I really just need to have more pens built. I have issues with finishing my builds because I feel I can't build very well. And really I can't unless its a kit. LOL. I'm terrible at building from scratch.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I really just need to have more pens built. I have issues with finishing my builds because I feel I can't build very well. And really I can't unless its a kit. LOL. I'm terrible at building from scratch.

The more you build the better you'll get.

 

[NagemTX]

The more you build the better you'll get.

Thank you. Getting back to finishing up some things that I left half done over the summer. Also starting some new ones. Told my brother he gets to be supervisor as he usually makes the doors for me.