The Bantam of the Opera Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I have my orpington bantam cockerel mating with my light sussex and she is looking a bit broody lately, spending alot of time on the nest. can they breed together or not? i was just wondering what the chicks will be like, they wont be deformed or anything will they? im not planning on hatching any but if cleo wants to be a mum i think ill let her have a go, let nature take its course. . ill deal with any cockerels hatched myself but we are hopefully moving to the country side within the next few months. Also, i have 2 cockerels and i was wondering, if i got pudding some girls could they free range together. i read somewhere that cockerels wont fight if they each have enough girls? and my friend was on a campsite in wales recently which had like 5 cockerels all free ranging together and they were okay. thanks for any help or advice that can be provided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I think all chickens can breed together, they just dont produce recognised hybrids, they are like mongrel chickens made up of a mixture of parentage. As for more than one cockrel, my breeder has tons of them all struting round together. With exception of his breeding sets which are in their own runs and houses he has loads of them free ranging all round the place and they dont seem to fight. they all take it in turns to crow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted February 15, 2008 Author Share Posted February 15, 2008 oo thats good! it would make me so happy to have my flock all together. how do they makes cocks fight then? i let my group free range together at the moment in a space round the side of my house and pudding is on his own in teh eglu run, do you think theyd fight there if i let them all out together? i thought if they were in a small area they might fight. the bantam would probably win though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 You can always try it supervised and see how they all get on. With cock fighting I presume its cause they are not distracted by hens and in a small confined space. I should imagine hey rile them up in some way to like with dog fighing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bantam of the Opera Posted February 15, 2008 Author Share Posted February 15, 2008 oh good!, erll i needed an excuse to get some more chickens so ill get pudding two girls of his own and then hopefully it will be blissul and they can all roam together. i may even get another cockerel, there was a really really cute one at the farm where i worked but he has to live in a guineapig cage indoors by himself because they use him for educational talks. i think its horribly cruel so maybe theyll let my buy him and give him a proper life, and maybe a girlfriend. id have plenty of room because my family are moving to the countryside this year with lots of land around it. im sao excited:D:D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happybunny Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I had 3 cockerels living together because I had hatched some eggs and they were all boys (pekin bantams). I seperated them and gave them hens (one lot went to the school where I work). In the holidays I bring them home and the hens tend to get on after a bit of argy-bargy but the cockerels were bleeding badly after they escaped and got togther. I haven't let them get anywhere near eachother since. I don't know whether it would settle down if I were patient or if they would kill eachother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I think its about space with cockerals. With one of my hatches I divided the hatch up. Later I tried to put what I couldnt tell whether it was a male or a female in with my definite male and a couple of hens and all hell broke lose. I think if there had been enough hens per male and more space then it would have been fine. When cocks do fight its vicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockADoodleDoo Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 i have a friend on a farm who has 3 cockrels in a confined run with about 18 hens and they get on fine i think this is because they all came from the group of chicks so have known eachother for life, so yours should be ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...