Introducing New Males to Older Hens

[tweezy50]

I have a decision to make and I need some other opinions to consider.

Over the course of the winter, I lost several of my roosters (Coturnix)  So now I have  an unbalanced numer of hens to roosters.

My question is;  Should I save a few roosters from this first hatch to put with the hens when the roosters are mature enough to mate?  I would put them all in a diffrent cage so the surroundings are new to all of them, or should I just cull the mature hens and start with all fresh roosters and hens?

I do have a few "groups" of 3/1 that I'm using now, so production hasn't completely stopped waiting for the chicks I have to grow up.

This isn't a BIG deal, but I don't want to save these older hens if it isn't going to work and they kill a new rooster.

I know Mother Nature can have a warped sense of humor sometimes, but I would like other more experienced opinions.

Thanks

[wildergamebirds]

  I assume you have read the "cage within a cage" method, here.  I would get them together, or in adjacent cages, now, before the mating urge overwhelms the new kids.  Being mounted by horny runts wouldn't make the hens any more welcoming of newcomers.

  On the other hand, If your hens are old enough that they are close to being "laid out", total replacement may be wiser.

[tweezy50]

Thanks Wilder.

The hens aren't that old, hatched out last fall, themselves, but I do some for the BBQ soon as I just sold all I had in the freezer.  Maybe would be best to just pop their little heads off and start with all "same age" groups.

[wildergamebirds]

  Easier on you that way, but might mean waiting a little longer for fertile eggs.

[tweezy50]

Good point but I still have some  groups of 3 for filling the incubator.

Bout overwhelmed myself with the production last year.  Maybe starting this year with fewer will let me correct my mistakes before they get out of hand again !

Thanks again for your input on the situation

[CharlieHorse]

I haven't had any problems with putting different aged BW's together as long as it's done properly wg had previously mentioned. I'd get some use out of those mature hens if it was feasible.

[tweezy50]

Thanks Charlie.   I have given it some thought and come up with another use for the infertile eggs from those hens besides using them in cooking and pickling, so may just keep them on the "Grren Mile" for a while.

Thanks guys

[bkvail]

Thanks Charlie.   I have given it some thought and come up with another use for the infertile eggs from those hens besides using them in cooking and pickling, so may just keep them on the "Grren Mile" for a while.

Thanks guys

what's your other use?  inquiring minds wanna know 

[tweezy50]

Well,

We have this older dog that needs to take medicine.  She's really strange, in that if you try to give her the tablet in  peanut butter or anything else, she will take it, eat the peanut butter or hot dog or whatever and then spit out the capsule.  If we crush the tablet into the peanut butter, she won't touch it.  But we tried crushing the pill into a quail egg and she slurpped it right down.  I think the egg will help her coat, also.

I'm happy dancin' that I finally outsmarted my dog!

[tweezy50]

I also use them for crafte project.

Soak them in vinegar just long enough to remove the spots and make them white...blow them out.....wash them well.....and use them in many projects.  You can make mini Easter eggs tha way.

[bkvail]

some of the eggs I got had a blue undertone instead of white - is that common?  I have been trying to figure out craft projects for the eggs too - you could still eat the egg by blowing them out - great trick for the dog medicine!  My shar-pei/rotty cross dog is a tricky one too - he reallly chews his food, so he spits out medicine too.  The black Lab on the otherhand - she inhales everything, so she's easy to give meds to! LOL!