The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Kimbo on May 24, 2015, 06:16:43 pm
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Sorry to ask this obvious question.
Ive just hatched my first eggs and have a box full of Laced Wyandottes and Cream Legbars. Because the CLBs can be sexed immeidieately I know that Ive got both sexes.
So at what age do I need to separate the sexes?
(its not urgent as they are only 5 days old!!)
Thanks
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I leave mine until around 2 months old then split but that's just me.
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Saying in these parts is, "If they're a-crowing, they're a-treading."
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hmm, my Scots Greys can start crowing at 9-11 weeks but have not seen any tread until they were 18+ weeks old!
I never used to split them, never had any problems with cranky cockerels. Split them the last two years and ended up culling some nice ones that turned into gits. So this year I am not splitting-they will all run together until the spring-although I am only keeping two males from this years growers, to join one other adult male later this summer.
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I keep mine together until I cull the cockerels for the freezer. Being fertile won't affect the eating quality of the eggs and you wouldn't want to hatch young pullets eggs.
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We keep ours together until they start treading the pullets, at which time there is a risk of injury. There is also safety in numbers, so if a predator gets into the run you may just lose cockerels. I say may, because it depends how feisty (or defensive) they have got. One of our little bantam leghorns has just pecked me and he's only 4 weeks old! He'll be downright dangerous in another few weeks.