PoultryTalk.com

Hi,
My name is David. I joined Poultry Talk a few days ago. I keep a small flock of mixed breeds;-Warrens, Lomonds, Welsummers, Marans, Black Rock, Rhode Rocks, Guinea Fowl and Aylesbury ducks.

I am about (I hope) to get a trio of Australorps. I would be interest to hear from anytbody else who keeps Auusies as they are new to me.

I already have a very gentle Welsummer cockerel, and would be intertested to hear other people's experience of keeping more than one cockerel.

David T-C, West Devon.

Hi David, welcome to the forum!
I currently keep 12 large orpington cockerels but not together, they have separate little breeding paddocks. The only time i put them together is if i want one of my older boys to run with my young cockerel growers as it tends to keep them a bit quieter! They get on fine as there are no females around to fight over, and the older boys teach the young ones some manners. Unfortunately i don't have the space to keep everyone together as alot of room is required to prevent fighting. Even the most mildest of boys can get aggresive over the ladies! It also depends on the breed, orps are quite laid back, but i do have an old boy who would kill anyother male in his patch! I can't even let him run with the young immature boys as he'd have them. Care should be taken if you're considering putting more than one cockerel where the girls are all together.

JubesX

Hi Jubes,
That's interesting! I tried to put avery large mild mannered Buff Orpington cockerel in a run with Balck Rocks and a "farmyard" cockerel. The BO nearly killed the FC in less than five minutes! My girls have plenty of space, but they do all roost in the same house at night. So far introducing newcomers late in the evening after the existing fowl have settled, and feeding them all early the next morning has maintained peace and equilibrium. I shall have to think about introducing these Australorps!

David T-C.

Hi David and welcome to Poultry Talk. com
We hope you will enjoy being a member.

Look forward to hearing about your Australorps. Have had bantam ones before and they are lovely birds I think, very docile.

See you here soon.

Regards,
Jamie.

anyone in west devon interested in some light sussex hens good large strain kept free range
message me if ur interested :)

Hi David,
I'm new here myself. I'm in South Devon so not so far away.

I've never succeeded in keeping cockerels together if there are girls around, even Brahmas and they are usually very docile. I have to keep the boys in a separate area.

However, 2 friends of mine do keep cockerels in with their girls and neither of them seem to have problems, but they do both have a lot of birds. I think if there are a lot of cockerels they can't be bothered to fight, unless they are fighting birds.

Good luck with the Australorps.

Regards Katy