Separating cockerels

[chickenfan]

I don't want my hens to get worn out by cockerel attentions and am wondering about the best way of separating them? It seems mean, but would you have the cockerel in a solitary pen alongside?

 

[chrismahon]

It's quite normal for breeders to separate the cocks from the hens when they no longer need fertile eggs Chickenfan, just for the reason you mentioned. We separated one because he was just too active. He had a pen and coop and was in sight of his hens -in fact his hens free ranged around the pen. Sure he wasn't happy about it and I'm sure the hens were very happy about it.

 

[chickenfan]

Well that sounds a very good analysis! Last year you advised separating the male and female chicks at 6 weeks. Have done this today, but the little hen chicks have been forlorn. Is it important to prevent early mating?

 

[3441sussex]

I have never been able to tell male from female at 6 weeks and only separate them when the cockerels become a noise nuisance and then I shut them in a shed for fattening; probably at about 14 or 15 weeks. Why is it necessary to separate them at such a young age?

 

[chickenfan]

One cockerel chick is already mating. I don't know if the boys might mate with each other as they grow if a lone group. I know it is very difficult to separate the males from the females later as they are so closely bonded, and sometimes there are very few hens or only one hen, so its traumatic losing other siblings later. However the sablepoot hen chicks I separated this morning were cheeping so miserably I've put one brother back with them.

 

[3441sussex]

So how do you cope with 1 female chick and the rest males at 6 weeks? My pullets never seem to worry when I take away the cockerels. I find intergrating a group of pullets with my main flock is a lot easier if there are some cockerels present.

 

[chrismahon]

We separate when the mating and therefore the potential for damage starts, so to a large extent it depend on the breed. We separate the chicks from the mum at 6 weeks. Our Leghorns show at 2 weeks and are crowing at 5 weeks, Wyandottes 10 weeks and Orpingtons as late as 26 weeks. I think it advantageous to keep the cockerels with the pullets for as long as possible, simply for predator defence.

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you Sussex and Chris for two interesting posts. I guess in Nature the brood would stay together. I'm not sure how much damage a young cockerel could do to a young hen? They are all tiny bantams, only half grown.