- Mar 28, 2017
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I know that this is an often discussed topic and I have read the pertinent threads but I'd love some advice specific to my situation, or sounding boards to bounce off of people. I have a 'main' chicken coop *without* a run and free range my chickens from that. I have room in it for about 30 chickens, give or take. I have a separate coop with room for about 10. I have a few grow-out coops that are very small, room for 1-2 adults, but I don't use it for that. I have a little turkey pen that could hold about 15. However, at any given time I have a batch of turkeys in the turkey coop, or Cornish crosses growing out in the second coop, and grow outs in the grow out coop... so I'm continuously juggling the space. For example right now I have separated out the legbar rooster with legbar hens (and some others) in one coop and the Black Copper Marans rooster with the BCM hens (and some others), for about a month now, and every other day I've been free ranging one group. The roos can see each other through the runs. As soon as the resulting eggs to in the incubator, I'm recombining the flocks (and hoping it goes well) so that the cornish cross can go in one of those coops. Meanwhile the grow outs are going outside this weekend. The turkey coop is available for another month or so until poults will be in it. And then a month after that I'll have the second coop available again... you get the idea.
The issue is that I'm going to run into a too many rooster problem soonish probably. I have a BCM roo, and a legbar roo and I use them to breed those two breeds, as well as make olive eggers. I am hatching out some tolbunt polish and I would love to keep a rooster from that set in order to breed them. In a few years I'd like to keep an olive egger roo from my breeding project, one that has two coppies of blue-egg gene(s) and pea comb, with dark overlay, because I'm working towards true breeding olive eggers... and that's four roosters. I will sometimes have room to keep everyone separated but sometimes I will just have the one coop. This means four roosters and room only for about 7 hens per roo. In the short term it would be more like 10 hens per roo... but that is a LOT of eggs and I don't know that I have that much of a customer base to sell them and pay for feed.. though I could do it if I needed to most likely. But it also means a lot of separating then reintegrating flocks/roosters and that sounds like it may end up being trouble?
What would you do in my situation? I could raise new roosters together each year so that I can sell/cull the older roos? I could build a bachelor pad and rotate the roosters through with the flock to breed or but wherever it is, the hens (and free ranging roo) would have access through free ranging to waltz right up to the bachelors and I imagine that would defeat the purpose. I could just try to separate then reintegrate like I am currently, and put any roo in solitary confinement if fighting happens, keep him separate until I can breed him, cull (sell) him, and keep a roo from the next batch to raise up? I don't want to not free range. That part is a deal breaker. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I reallllly want to keep multiple roos and breed, and I REALLY don't want to not free range. What would you do?
Also any tips that may be related but not direct answers would be great. For example the best way to reintegrate the roos. I thought maybe letting just the boys out and giving them a bunch of scratch and meal worms to eat for a couple days so they can bro out together for a bit, before adding hens to the equation.
The issue is that I'm going to run into a too many rooster problem soonish probably. I have a BCM roo, and a legbar roo and I use them to breed those two breeds, as well as make olive eggers. I am hatching out some tolbunt polish and I would love to keep a rooster from that set in order to breed them. In a few years I'd like to keep an olive egger roo from my breeding project, one that has two coppies of blue-egg gene(s) and pea comb, with dark overlay, because I'm working towards true breeding olive eggers... and that's four roosters. I will sometimes have room to keep everyone separated but sometimes I will just have the one coop. This means four roosters and room only for about 7 hens per roo. In the short term it would be more like 10 hens per roo... but that is a LOT of eggs and I don't know that I have that much of a customer base to sell them and pay for feed.. though I could do it if I needed to most likely. But it also means a lot of separating then reintegrating flocks/roosters and that sounds like it may end up being trouble?
What would you do in my situation? I could raise new roosters together each year so that I can sell/cull the older roos? I could build a bachelor pad and rotate the roosters through with the flock to breed or but wherever it is, the hens (and free ranging roo) would have access through free ranging to waltz right up to the bachelors and I imagine that would defeat the purpose. I could just try to separate then reintegrate like I am currently, and put any roo in solitary confinement if fighting happens, keep him separate until I can breed him, cull (sell) him, and keep a roo from the next batch to raise up? I don't want to not free range. That part is a deal breaker. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I reallllly want to keep multiple roos and breed, and I REALLY don't want to not free range. What would you do?
Also any tips that may be related but not direct answers would be great. For example the best way to reintegrate the roos. I thought maybe letting just the boys out and giving them a bunch of scratch and meal worms to eat for a couple days so they can bro out together for a bit, before adding hens to the equation.
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