Author Topic: Breeding groups over winter  (Read 4123 times)

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Breeding groups over winter
« on: September 07, 2015, 09:13:09 pm »
Well my WLH's are all gone now, I sold them for 15 small bales of hay.

That leaves me with one big group containing my dark laying birds (Welsummer & Maeans) and La Bresse with only a La Bresse cock bird in with them.

I now also have 13 week old IG's and in with them is a 14 week old Welsummer cockerel.

So my question is I would like to free range them all at once over the winter and put them into 3 breeding pens early next year.

Do you think they will be ok with the other cockerels being young and there being a lot of room to free range ?

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2015, 06:02:32 am »
You have a La Bresse cock and one Welsummer cockerel Dave? I think the problem will be mixing the pullets with the older hens as well as the young cockerel challenging the cock in a few months. Can you divide the free ranging area?

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2015, 08:15:32 am »
I think Chris is probably right.


Winter is low season for breeding so the sexual drive in cocks is lower which in theory relieves some of the tension and potential to fight. Having said that, as ranging food sources get in shorter supply that can create another reason to fight for territory.


Younger males who have grown up in the presence of a dominant male tend to be more submissive than those who haven't but alot does depend on the breed and individual temperament.


Because they are territorial, your plan would work best if you could assign them each a territory. If you could dot your colony's about in different fields on your land then they may be content not to challenge too much until spring.


With regard to the young males, if they can free range they tend to take themselves off somewhere private to practice crowing so they dont offend the resident male. If they cant do this then you may need to watch out for tensions between the youngsters and the resident male especially if you pen them up together.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2015, 08:27:37 am »
We pen our current year's males with a Peacekeeper (mature male), through the Winter.  He will be dominant without a fight.  By the time scuffles start in the Spring we'll have selected which of the youngsters will be  used for breeding and they'll be put with their group of hens in a separate pen. We have only one group free ranging at a time and have to keep them away from the others or they fight furiously through the wire mesh.

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2015, 12:51:10 pm »
I would agree with the above. Integrating young cockerels is rarely an issue as the established male(s) will chase them off but not usually injure them as the youngster will surrender and leg it. This establishes the status of each bird. Putting 2 established top dogs in together maybe an issue though. I've also found that the smaller breeds like leghorns and araucana can be more feisty, ever with a much larger opponent. 

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2015, 12:55:52 pm »
That's kind of what I did when I had my WLH breeding flock, I let them and the La Bresse out on alternative days.

I was just hoping that with the IG and Welsummer cockerels being young they might be ok with the old LB cock bird this winter I also have more space for them now but don't want to keep them in there runs all the time,
I suppose worst case I could free range each group every 3rd day but that's not ideal.

Just seen Stereo's post
Think I will try letting them all out and see what happens.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2015, 12:58:12 pm by Dave C »

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2015, 09:42:50 am »
To be honest I've mixed cockerels up many, many times and rarely had anything but the odd skirmish. Certainly never any serious injuries. But I might have just been lucky I suppose.

Clansman

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Ayrshire
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2015, 10:24:39 am »
Sounds like it, it is quite rare but if you get two top dog cocks and put them together you'll end up with one or sometimes none, i've seen them kill each other.

Youngsters, newcomers etc usually are a bit submissive initially though.

If i'm running some adults together I like to cage them beside each other for a few weeks and lets them fight it out through the wire, they seem to get the message than they can't win, it does help



RPF

  • Joined Feb 2015
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2015, 07:25:42 pm »
I've got all my youngsters running round with an older dominant cock no problem. I guess suck it and see mate.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2015, 09:46:20 pm »
I've mixed different aged cockerels with no issues before-provided they have room to runaway. This year was different though, my MD cock, despite being half their size, seriously beat up a Minorca (LF) and Scots Grey-and the SG was a menace when it came to hens-he didn't lack testosterone! The MD and SG had been together all winter and spring previous to that.
He really beat the cr[member=36627]P[/member] out of them before I could get them separated. I currently have the MD, a MD boy from this year and a MD x silkie boy all running together ok. I expect scrapping after xmas, atm the younger ones just get out of his way.

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2015, 10:52:08 am »
Yes I think I will let the young flock out this week end to free range and get used to the place for a day then let them all out the following day and see what happens.

It's only until February then I will be penning them all up.
And I guess next year will be different as they will all be more dominant and won't mix as good !

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2015, 12:47:31 pm »
I think if you've got a big pen or free range it's usually a case that the dominant one will chase for a bit then consider the job done. Occasionally a youngster will stand up to him for a moment but it's usually over and he scarpers. I've never had a full on fight occur though. It may be because my farm is on the ley line that runs through Totnes so they are all just feeling the love.

Dave C

  • Joined Aug 2014
  • Teesdale, Co Durham
Re: Breeding groups over winter
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2015, 01:47:27 pm »
Ha, nice one Stereo

Do you have your breeding groups free ranging together all year round then ?

 

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