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keeping extra cocks
dak:
--- Quote from: John ---I\'ve been leaving two cocks per coop of 8 - 12 or so hens. 1 cock rules the roost, while the other spends most of the time out of the way on the roost.
With some matings I rotate cocks in and out of breeding coops and sometimes keep extra LF cocks in a coop/pen together (bantam cocks in another coop). The pecking order has to get reestablished each time one is taken out and one is added. The neat part is they may get bloodied up, but they learn to back down rather than fight to the end. You can try to level the playing field some by taking out the \"alpha\" cock for a day when a new one comes in the coop. There are several ways to help make the transitions a bit smoother.
--- End quote ---
When there are two cocks in the pen, how much of the breeding do you think the subordinate cock accounts for? Any?
John:
Very little. With the coop area in the barn and wired pen area outside there are times when one cock is inside and one is out...the subordinate one could get lucky if he is fast and gutsy.
The idea isn\'t to have both breed, but to have the backup bird in case something happens to the #1 cock.
Blue Egg Acres:
Thanks for the pics John. I think we\'ll put some of these together.
John:
I also use them to put broody hens in until they start laying again. This keeps them out of the nest boxes and the wire bottoms help to dissuade them from setting.
tinadinkins:
Barbara,
I can keep up to three together. They usually work out the pecking order fast. I usually try to keep two and let the others free range with my laying chickens until I need them.
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