I've kept a few hens for over a year, and now I'd like to get some chicks and eventually start breeding my own. Trouble is, I'm unable to decide on one breed. My hens are Rhode Island Reds, and I love them, but I also want Dominiques. Question: If I get several hens of each breed, and one rooster of each, will I need to seperate them? I've read that they will have to be seperated by breed for a while before I want chicks, but how long? Do they need to be seperated all the time? I'm worried that the 2 roosters will fight. I have a 12x12' coop/barn for them, and I let them free-range for a few hours each day. If I'm going to have to build seperate cages and not let them free-range together, I'll just choose one breed and have one rooster.

Zeamays--You need to completely separate your breeds for up to 3 weeks to be sure of parentage. And you probably will not be able to put the roosters back together afterward, as they will doubtless fight?? Unless you have pens for each breed--all the time, it is a problem for pure breeding. I would love to have a half dozen favorite breeds, but because my Dutch Bantams come in such a nice variety of varieties, I have given up all others and enjoy others breeds at shows, in pictures, etc. And I not only have just one breed, but limit my varieties(colors) to 4, as this is just about as important to keep the breeding pens separate as if they were different breeds!!!With just one breed, I keep 10 breeding pens, so I can line breed and do not have to buy new birds. And I keep just 4-6 cocks, 12-14 hens. Some pens are for young birds, not yet sold, or some I'm deciding whether to keep. Hard to decide, but you will find it easier to have one breed--and someday you can switch breeds--or increase accomodations! Good luck, CJR

I am new at all this. I have 5 hens,unknown what the breed.I want to use them for eggs,but its been 4 months or more and no eggs.Do i need a Rooster? Or does it take awhile for them to lay eggs>

Yes it takes about 20 to 22 weeks before your hens will give you their first eggs, and their first eggs won't be like the ones which will come later at they mature. Pullet eggs are smaller, and sometimes a little out-of-shape, but not often, and only for about 4 to 6 weeks, then they settle down to what they will do for the rest of their first year.

Then when they finally molt, at about 18 months, they will stop laying for a while, and then will resume for their second laying period which will give you slightly fewer, but larger eggs!

Happy clucking!

Rex

Ok...so i don't need a Rooster...Thanks so much

Anyone with information on dominique (did I spell that right?) chickens? I have 3 that are 4 months old but can not find any info on them. So far, all are gentle, and don't mind being handled.

I have several Barred Rock Hens. This past spring, I got some additional chicks and one turned out to be a Rooster. I heard that a rooster will only fertilize the hens eggs in the spring, is this true? I use my hens for laying eggs, do I need to separate the rooster from the hens all the time?

Lisa, The average rooster will fertilize eggs all day every day, all year,if he's so inclined! Unless you want to raise chicks, you would be better off without any roosters at all! Your hens will be more content and they will not have worn plumage on heads and backs! They may even lay more eggs?? CJR

I am raising a few different breeds of bantams
and in the winter i put them all in one big pen
to huddle and such, how long after seperating
shoud i wait to asure parentage before incubating?

2 weeks ago I bought a Brahma rooster and hen.The hen has laid about 10 eggs in a nest so far. I would like to have her hatch them. When will she start to set? Do I need to do anything to encourage her, or will she set on her own when the nest is full?

You need to do nothing to encorage her. She will set when she decides she's ready.

Hi there--
I'm really new--new to this site and new to chickens. I'm a teacher and brought home one of the chicks we had at school for my daughter, but I have no idea how to tell whether we have a rooster or a hen. One person who has chickens says hen, another says rooster! The chick is about 5-6 weeks old. He/she still has some yellow fuzz on the head, but the body is mostly brown and black mottled feathers, with a stumpy tail. He/she is beginning to get a comb and today I noticed wattles starting to appear under the beak. Can someone please help us out?

Thanks!
Tracey

Probably rooster, if there isn't much in the way of tail feathers, and the comb and wattles are starting to really show. It's easier to compare these features among several chicks. Pullets usually have better tail feathers early, and the comb and wattles will be hardly noticeable at all, and still pale. Hope this helps.