Grow-out pen??

[Bantams182]

Built 2 grow-out pens for young chicks, chicks raised by mama hen in a coop by themselves, would you leave the pullet chicks with mama and separate the cockerels or separate both the pullets and cockerels, cockerels in one grow out pen and pullets in another when mama weans them? Then introduce the pullets back to the flock at 14- 16 weeks? I'm sure everyone does this differently and would like to hear your suggestions,????

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm sure everyone does this differently

I don't always do this exactly the same each time, so yeah, you can get some people that really do it differently.

would you leave the pullet chicks with mama and separate the cockerels or separate both the pullets and cockerels, cockerels in one grow out pen and pullets in another when mama weans them? Then introduce the pullets back to the flock at 14- 16 weeks?

What is the situation with your main flock? How much room do you have in square feet in the coop and in the run? How many total chickens, hens and roosters? What does your coop and run look like? Just an idea of what you are working with.

What are your goals? How do you want this to end up? Are you going to eat then boys or sell them? At what age? Are you planning on keeping all of the girls or maybe a few? Are you eating older hens as the pullets start to lay? It is easier for me to make suggestions when I know what you are working with and what you want to accomplish.

I have a lot of room: an 8x12 coop, two 4x8 shelters, a 12' x 32' run, and over 2,000 square feet inside electric netting. If mine were squeezed into a smaller place I could not do what I do.

I eat all but one of my boys every year and usually keep one cockerel to replace the dominant rooster, who I also eat. I'm playing with genetics so I often replace the breeding flock. I keep a few pullets every year as replacements, eat the rest and some of the older hens to keep the laying flock young and play with genetics.

I typically raise around 20 chicks each year in a brooder. The brooder is in the coop and around 5 weeks of age I release the chicks to roam with the flock. Or I may move them to my grow-out coop at 5 weeks and integrate them with my main flock at around 8 weeks of age. It depends on how crowded the main coop is.

My broody hens raise their chicks with the flock. Usually three or four different broody hatches each year. They all hatch with the flock. Some stay with the flock but if it gets crowded I'll isolate a hen with her chicks in a shelter in the run. The broody takes her chicks to sleep in that shelter instead of a crowded coop. But during the day they roam with the flock.

I've had broody hens wean their chicks anywhere between 3 weeks of age and 9 weeks. Many people have broody hens go a month longer before they wean their chicks. Those chicks have been able to make their way with the flock. They basically form their own sub-flock and avoid the adults until they mature enough to fully integrate. That's generally when the pullets start laying for the girls. The boys can be all over the place. Often each age group keeps to itself.

Some years the young cockerels get rowdy enough before I eat them that I isolate several in a 4x8 shelter with an 8x12 run. Maybe once every three or four years. Each group is different. Most years they are not a problem.

Each group is different, I can never be sure how they will turn out. I just play it by ear and do what I feel I need to. Good luck with yours.