hens mateing

[barlbylofts]

any of you got ya hens mateing to each other, mine are lol, the cocks are makeing a lot of noise calling for hens.the all on heat lol.

 

mark

barlbylofts

[stevebelbin]

You need to prevent the hens from pairing or you will have trouble pairing them up, keep the hens really hungry and they won't pair up. Also you can use 2"x2" mesh on the floor so they cant lay and only use v-perchs.

[Roland]

Thin top V percrches... or slat the floor....

Or a rabbit / guinea pig on the floor all stop mating up. If they can't tread they ain't affected. A complete wire floor, or locked up in boxes... but must trap quick... Read a great article where he wasn't bothered, and mate races them to each other, even to eggs or a youngster slipped under them.... but after breeding season. All mkes sense, but I perfer that the are keen to mate. Untill two seasons ago I never seperated them!

[NANCYVIEWLOFTS]

weve tried all methods to prevent hens pairing up but you always get the odd 1 or 2 that do

mesh on the floor they still pair and egg falls through mesh so they start to pair again

v perches or poles are one of the best ways but you cant keep them hungry while they are moulting but when the moult is over put them on a resting mix until a few weeks before pairing

if they are only pairing and not laying they should be no bother when you introduce the cocks

[carl]

My hens always pair,doesnt bother me that much as long as they are not sitting eggs i dont mind.I let then sit with each other but dont let them go to nest as i think this will mess with the moult.

What i will do is split the hens up before pairing,make them more fresh

[trapperjoe69]

i find hens pair up quite regular, it dose not bother me in winter, just seperate them lock them in boxes for about a week before pairing to cocks.

 

during racing i think it is vital that hens are kept keen for racing & to wind up the widowhood cocks, best kept -

individual boxes

v perches

poles

and having a wire or grill floor

 

ps anybody help me _ how do you go about posting new topics ??, i am only new to website

[Guest Vic]

Hi Guys,

           I am presently working on a rear loft hen compartment, to save time on marking nights. I am thinking about installing an inclined (sloping) floor (possibly hinged) to stop the hens mating. I have never heard of a similar floor, but along with V perches, I am sure it will work. Is there anybody who can offer any ideas for such a floor? Vic.

 

[Guest anthony]

once I have seen hens kept in a loft with the floor had a shape of V this wiil probably stop them from laying,it is a little difficult to walk on.I found best,keeping them in seperate boxex

[Wiley]

I have never heard of a similar floor, but along with V perches, I am sure it will work. Is there anybody who can offer any ideas for such a floor? Vic.

 

 

Its more common then you think my friend alot of ppl down here have it in the hens sheds it saves them being boxed up and it does work to stop them mating!Roland you had an interesting post about having a rabbit or guinea pig in the loft,do you do this yourself.Dont the birds try and eat there droppings.Im just interested and amazed never heard of this. Use lads could do what i have done in the past to get my young birds tame and that is put a load of ballons on the floor, but once they get used to them ud soon have to change your idea

[Wiley]

any more ideas

[Guest]

imho seems a lot of trouble just to stop a couple hens from pairing up?

 

Have one such pair who 'found' each other on Monday ... been split since 1st October, and have been showing up to cocks, then a 97 hen moves in on an 05 hen ... happy as larks,     or pigeons    Have had this before and they'll still take to their cocks in February.

 

Think Roland is having a bit of a laugh with his animals on the floor  ;D  Guinea pigs are creatures of the night  ;D  sleep all day while hens are snuggled up and awake all night while the hens are still snuggled up - asleep.  ;D

[EAGLEOWL]

vic

   place some cheap chip board at both sides of section so the birds cannot get to the floor ,you will need a board to fit across for feeding the hens and watering them once fed take the board away they will not try to breed as no where to make a nest ,also the boards are easy to scrap clean then put back .this way hens only have the v perch to sit on ,but keep a eye on them in case one falls into the crack and cannot get back up,this also keeps the hens fit as they will not try go to the floor flying from perch to perch i must add you need plenty of spare perches for them that will stop them.

[Ronnie]

during racing season ive been told to keep an old cock in a show pen in the hens section and they wont pair up.Or let them see other cocks apart from there own through a partition or seperation.

Dont know how true it is

[EAGLEOWL]

ronnie the problem with that is if a hen takes a fancy to the cock or pairs to him this could give you problems when placing the hens back in with the cocks

[Guest]

Well it is that time of year again, birds are split, and I hope there's immature cocks in with the hens cos at mo its 19 'hens' and 13 cocks ... and one of them is pretty quiet, might be a hen too.  :B

 

So here's hoping at least two pairs of hens do pair up, and are not ones I wanted to breed from either. There's boxes there for them, they defend as good as any cock, and I'll have a bash at racing them.  

[markspigeons]

lol i was shocked to see this thread pop up i posted this one nearly a year ago lol

[Roland]

Just leave the V pecrches up and a ginea pig on the floor. They won't sit  on the floor as the guinea pig is inquisative and goes over to them. Take out the pig when feeding.