Set-Up

[Fair Play]

Just a question to see what other fanciers think - I have just modified one of my loft sections and now the the 64K question would you

1.Put the cocks in first

2.Put  the hens in first

3.Put both in together

4.Put them all in the section together and let them pick their own mates

given that these birds will be the birds that will be bred to fly the distance in a couple of years time :-/ :-/ :-/

[Fair Play]

Sorry meant to ask what would be the reason for your choice - I have my own ideas but never too proud or too old to learn

[ch pied]

i would put the cock's in first , let them sort themselves out , when their settled to the box's , its time for the hen's , put them all in at same time . and you have world war3 , good luck

[johno]

put them all in together. if one bird is not good enough to be paired to any other bird of the opposite sex in the sectin at least one of them should not be there. the only reason i can see for interfering with nature is if you have brothers and sisters and mothers and sons fathers and daughters all together and you do not want to inbreed. if the cocks cannot find a nesting site and defend it and attract a hen then maybe they should not be there.

[Roland]

Hens in first, let them settle then the cock birds, they will mate and go to the hen's nestbox and no fighting.... or at best very little, - usually when the cock goes next door by mistake, quite quickly remmended.

[Guest casbri]

i leave cocks inhut where nestholes are they pick there own holes put cocks in first then put in hens..this is the way i pair up

[carl]

I would put the cocks in first for a few days,get any fighting out the way first,then if your not bothered about how they pair,lock all the cocks in the boxes they have claimed then let your hens in,the next day the hens will have claimed a box and a cock,love matches are always easier on the fancier

[Guest IB]

IMHO settling is very important, its soul destroying to have pairs lay then lose eggs and youngsters to stray cocks and or hens ending up in the wrong box. I also agree that you would normally first settle the cocks in their boxes. The reason for settling them into their boxes first is that you want to eliminate any fighting or cocks claiming more than one box long before the hens are introduced.

 

You then have pairing options to suit yourself : select hens for (some) cocks and /or let (some) cocks choose their own hens. Hens you have selected would be put in their half of the box, while those hens chosen by the cocks would normally follow their cock back to his box. You then have to get the hens settled, again usually by releasing one pair at a time, making sure they go back to the box and are locked in before you release the next pair.