Basic Breeding/Breeding Pen Questions (as natural as possible)

[CraziChknLady]

I need basic information for creating some breeding pens. I have a mixed flock and am looking to breed for just personal use. I am not going to be selling any eggs or chicks. It is possible I have a Mycoplasma positive flock. (was never officially tested as symptoms stopped by the time I found out about the testing). I do understand this is passed from adult to chick. I will not be breeding any that have shown symptoms. I have read that you can't breed for resistance. I find this interesting as some of my flock members have never exhibited symptoms (although I know they can be carriers) Also, in the wild, any sick would perish and the strong would survive...so would it be possible to get ones that are less symptomatic? I am also not exactly 100% sure it was Mycoplasma. My goal is create a strong hearty flock for eggs. I also want them to be more predator aware, mostly hawks. I am also leaning toward the taller heavier chickens, think Orpington's, Easter Eggers, Jersey Giants. I do like Brahma's size wise (but I don't want feathers on feet) . But I also want a more natural free ranging chicken. Eventually I would want to get a Leige Fighter chicken. Especially for their size, temperament and predator awareness. But that is a few years down the line. I think right now I just want to concentrate on eggs, size and temperament. I do not have any incubators, but can get some, or was going to use broody hens. I had 5 go broody last year. Going to try to do this as natural as possible. Currently have 40. (7 are banty's and are not being bred, 11 roos).


What is the best size for a breeding pen?
How long do they need to be kept in?
Is there a good month to start? Not sure if chickens have a breeding season (like cats)?
Best time to stop? (want to be able to cull in fall) (So I know chicks would need to be a certain age by then for the ones I don't want to keep).
What is the best ratio? ( I have heard 1 roo to 4/5 hens or 1 roo to 3 hens)?
After breeding do you still keep hens in the pens so you know which eggs are fertile?
Do you wait after breeding, (ex, a week or 3 weeks) to pull eggs/ wait for those to be laid? (After breeding, I plan on putting the hens back in the main flock.)


I am only going to keep 1 or 2 of the best roos and then cull the rest for meat. I know I will have to introduce new roos outside of the flock to introduce new genes at some point. I want to be able to cull by Oct/Nov so I don't have to feed through winter.

What age is the best to cull?
How often should I introduce a new roo? Every year? Every 2-3 years?

I also have some Swedish Flower Hens that I will definitely be breeding true for this first go round. Have a split of 4 roos and 4 hens (they are currently 5 1/2 months) Some have crests and some don't. I have heard of a vaulted skull but not sure what that looks like. Or what that is? I never noticed any have bumps on skulls when chicks and they all seem find as adults. Would anyone know what this is? I definitely don't want to have this.


Any help or information is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Ted Brown]

Answers below are based on my limited experience but have visited a medium breeder to buy & view his setup. I have:

1. 27 hens in a hen-only coop & run; about 6 months experience but find this much calmer with less "damage" to the hens; prior to the change I had 2 roosters embedded;
2. 3 separate cages for roosters to be used for breeding; these will ultimately be isolation and brooder spaces;
3. 14'x16' pole shed under construction; current cages will be relocated and a large walk in 8'x8'x6'(H) built; normally this large cage will be a bachelor's pad and expected to house 5-6 roosters, will have a removable panel that divides this space into two to have both bachelor and breeding cages; breeding cages will house a rooster and 4-6 hens or pullets.

What is the best size for a breeding pen?

• see above, size is taken from the breeder visit he has three rows of four cages each.

How long do they need to be kept in?

• depends - if normally kept with roosters I understand that it takes 30 days before breeding can start
• until you have the number of eggs required; eggs can be kept for up to 7 days before incubation

Is there a good month to start? Not sure if chickens have a breeding season (like cats)?

• depends on one's climate; in locations with a real winter timing should allow new pullets to begin to lay by December (minimum 6 months ahead)
• breeding can be done at any time but moulting and decreasing daylight can make the Fall less than optimal.

Best time to stop? (want to be able to cull in fall) (So I know chicks would need to be a certain age by then for the ones I don't want to keep).

• pullets can mostly be distinguished from cockerels by 4 months

What is the best ratio? ( I have heard 1 roo to 4/5 hens or 1 roo to 3 hens)?

• the ratio I will use is 1 to 4-6 hens; this is my breeder's ratio
• breeding cage size may impact this but I expect breeding to be completed within 30 days given I do not need to separate the hens to clear before breeding

After breeding do you still keep hens in the pens so you know which eggs are fertile?

• fertile eggs can only be determined by candling after 7 days in an incubator

Do you wait after breeding, (ex, a week or 3 weeks) to pull eggs/ wait for those to be laid? (After breeding, I plan on putting the hens back in the main flock.)

• fertilization can occur almost immediately following co-location of a roo with hens/pullets
• depends on the roo actually covering a given hen so close observation is needed
• my plan is to co-locate then wait a week then begin to incubate.

Once again I have limited experience with controlled breeding so will not be offended if others step in to correct my comments.

 

[LaurenRitz]

The "natural" chick season is spring. Assuming your hens finish hatching by June your new birds would be six months and more than ready for harvest by November. Working with broodies this is going to be harder to control. I have one hen that consistently goes broody twice per year, spring and fall.

Assuming the hen likes her new boyfriend, she can have fertile eggs within 24 hours. Only the eggs that started the process after the rooster mounted will be fertile. Crack an egg and look for the "bullseye" on the yolk. If unfertilized it will just look like a white spot. Might want to look next time you use an egg so you can see what an unfertilized egg looks like.

Number of hens is going to be variable. Partially dependent on breed, but mostly the rooster and hens chosen. Too few, you end up with hens being overbred. Too many, he may breed only his favorites. Anywhere from 2 to 20.

I currently have 2 flocks. One roo has 4 girls and seems content, except that the other roo keeps trying to steal his girls. The other roo has 9, but apparently he thinks that's not enough. This just started as spring swung into gear, so likely at least part of it is seasonal. They are both providing fertile eggs.

A rooster is still figuring things out at 24 weeks. Until he's six months old you won't know of behavior problems, fertility problems, how he treats his ladies, etc. By one year he is fully mature. If you're evaluating anything other than appearance I'd suggest choosing a rooster that has at least hit his first birthday, but that means keeping a rooster around and with the flock through an entire breeding season.

Since you're choosing which birds breed, having his female descendants in his flock shouldn't be an issue. How often you change roosters really depends on your goals.

 

[CraziChknLady]

The "natural" chick season is spring. Assuming your hens finish hatching by June your new birds would be six months and more than ready for harvest by November. Working with broodies this is going to be harder to control. I have one hen that consistently goes broody twice per year, spring and fall.

Assuming the hen likes her new boyfriend, she can have fertile eggs within 24 hours. Only the eggs that started the process after the rooster mounted will be fertile. Crack an egg and look for the "bullseye" on the yolk. If unfertilized it will just look like a white spot. Might want to look next time you use an egg so you can see what an unfertilized egg looks like.

Number of hens is going to be variable. Partially dependent on breed, but mostly the rooster and hens chosen. Too few, you end up with hens being overbred. Too many, he may breed only his favorites. Anywhere from 2 to 20.

I currently have 2 flocks. One roo has 4 girls and seems content, except that the other roo keeps trying to steal his girls. The other roo has 9, but apparently he thinks that's not enough. This just started as spring swung into gear, so likely at least part of it is seasonal. They are both providing fertile eggs.

A rooster is still figuring things out at 24 weeks. Until he's six months old you won't know of behavior problems, fertility problems, how he treats his ladies, etc. By one year he is fully mature. If you're evaluating anything other than appearance I'd suggest choosing a rooster that has at least hit his first birthday, but that means keeping a rooster around and with the flock through an entire breeding season.

Since you're choosing which birds breed, having his female descendants in his flock shouldn't be an issue. How often you change roosters really depends on your goals.

Thank you! This helps a lot.