| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Jack
Guest
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:17 am Post subject: Need advice on our chickens |
 |
|
Up until about 4 months ago our chicken brood consisted of one very
masculine batam rooster cross and 3 hens(all average size). We saved
the eggs from one of the hens and hatched 8 chicks. Out of those 8 we
have saved a rooster and 3 hens. Up to this point the new chicks have
been housed in their own small chicken house that is away from our
main chicken house. Now that they are 4 months old and getting close
to full size, we are trying to decide on their permanent housing.
Should we put this young rooster and his hens in the main house with
their mom and pop and two other mature hens? Or, should we leave
them separate. Will housing the two roosters(our older rooster and
his son) together be ok? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks |
|
| |
|
 Back to top |
Jill
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: Re: Need advice on our chickens |
|
|
Jack wrote:
[quote]Up until about 4 months ago our chicken brood consisted of one very
masculine batam rooster cross and 3 hens(all average size). We saved
the eggs from one of the hens and hatched 8 chicks. Out of those 8 we
have saved a rooster and 3 hens. Up to this point the new chicks have
been housed in their own small chicken house that is away from our
main chicken house. Now that they are 4 months old and getting close
to full size, we are trying to decide on their permanent housing.
Should we put this young rooster and his hens in the main house with
their mom and pop and two other mature hens? Or, should we leave
them separate. Will housing the two roosters(our older rooster and
his son) together be ok? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks
[/quote]
Whether or not the two males get on you will only know by trying.
It would be best to have them in housing and runs that are beside each other
for some weeks to allow them to get acclimatised to each other.
The probability is that if they don>t fight immediately then they will start
next spring.
With the breeding season mostly over there is less to fight over at this
time of year so they can lull you into a false sense of security.
If you have your two pens together then you can gradually increase the time
that the two flocks spend together.
And you will have a separate place to put which ever cockerel you need to
afterwards if they do not get on.
--
regards
Jill Bowis
Domestic Poultry and Waterfowl Solutions
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine Nursery
Seasonal Farm Food
http://www.kintaline.co.uk |
|
| |
|
| Back to top |
Jack
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:58 pm Post subject: Re: Need advice on our chickens |
|
|
Jill, actually both groups free range around our place. Sometimes
they are together. Other times separate. We have never seen the two
roosters combat. In fact, they seem to ignore each other. The older
hens sometimes assert themselves at feeding time.
Given this information, how would you handle them? Thanks, Jack
On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:13:13 +0100, " Jill"
<news@NOSPAMkintaline.co.uk> wrote:
[quote]Jack wrote:
Up until about 4 months ago our chicken brood consisted of one very
masculine batam rooster cross and 3 hens(all average size). We saved
the eggs from one of the hens and hatched 8 chicks. Out of those 8 we
have saved a rooster and 3 hens. Up to this point the new chicks have
been housed in their own small chicken house that is away from our
main chicken house. Now that they are 4 months old and getting close
to full size, we are trying to decide on their permanent housing.
Should we put this young rooster and his hens in the main house with
their mom and pop and two other mature hens? Or, should we leave
them separate. Will housing the two roosters(our older rooster and
his son) together be ok? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks
Whether or not the two males get on you will only know by trying.
It would be best to have them in housing and runs that are beside each other
for some weeks to allow them to get acclimatised to each other.
The probability is that if they don>t fight immediately then they will start
next spring.
With the breeding season mostly over there is less to fight over at this
time of year so they can lull you into a false sense of security.
If you have your two pens together then you can gradually increase the time
that the two flocks spend together.
And you will have a separate place to put which ever cockerel you need to
afterwards if they do not get on.
--
regards
Jill Bowis
Domestic Poultry and Waterfowl Solutions
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine Nursery
Seasonal Farm Food
http://www.kintaline.co.uk
[/quote] |
|
| |
|
| Back to top |
Jill
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: Need advice on our chickens |
|
|
Jack wrote:
[quote]Jill, actually both groups free range around our place. Sometimes
they are together. Other times separate. We have never seen the two
roosters combat. In fact, they seem to ignore each other. The older
hens sometimes assert themselves at feeding time.
[/quote]
So they are two functioning flocks?
[quote]
Given this information, how would you handle them?
[/quote]
Move the two houses gradually closer to each other and let them decide if /
when they are ready to combine forces is the most subtle way.
If you cannot do that then you can try the all in and wait for WW3 which may
or may not happen.
<g>
--
regards
Jill Bowis
Domestic Poultry and Waterfowl Solutions
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine Nursery
Seasonal Farm Food
http://www.kintaline.co.uk |
|
| |
|
| Back to top |
|
