Best age to separate genders?

[Lee G]

My oldest grow outs are going on 3 months now, and I've been noticing the cockerels starting to bug the pullets...so I'm thinking I need to divide them sooner than later, and probably will tonight if the rain ever stops...I had planned to divide everyone as soon as I could tell gender, but you know what they say about best laid plans, heh 

Anyway, I got to wondering if there's a general consensus on what age is best to separate the sexes? I'd like to be better prepared for next year!

[John W Blehm]

I don't do it until it is time to set up matings for breeding.  I can't remember a time when the pullets got picked on too much, but I do continually sort thru the growing birds (about once a month to several weeks) and that reduces more cockerels than pullets as they grow.

[Mike Gilbert]

If you have the facilities to do it, as soon as the cockerels start to pick on the pullets.   It is more of a conditioning problem for looks and for show than any actual danger to the pullets - unless they are badly outnumbered and you have particularly aggressive cockerels.  Broken and missing feathers take time to grow back, and you need them all in place and looking good for exhibition if you expect to do well. 

[Lee G]

  Interesting John. I think you may have touched on one of my biggest issues, and that's my bad habit of hanging on to culls because they have a certain trait or feature I like and find interesting, (and want to see fully grown and mature.) Sigh...not sure why, but I seem doomed to repeat this every year. Must be the mad scientist in me. haha but seriously, I need to cut that stuff out. Be more ruthless. My flock needs it.

Thanks Mike. I don't really have ideal facilities to separate, yet, but do it anyway because I've found my birds grow better that way. Plus I find it easier to compare apples to apples, and pick out my favourites as well. Conditioning has never been a strong suit of mine.  I need to work on that too. (Feeding wet mash sure doesn’t help beards any, but boy do they love it, and their feathers just gleam...) My male/female ratios are actually pretty even this year. Which is good, because I need both sexes! The young cockerels recently started crowing and bickering (mostly with each other), though I've noticed some of the more feisty males like to chase lower ranking pullets around the coop... and from the food dishes. Which brings me to another (related) issue, and that's floor space… I’d like to have a fair sized chick crop to select from every year, but not so many that I'm pushing the limits of what my yard/and self can handle. That’s kinda where I’m at right now - I’ve kept too many birds (again) for too long, and keep second guessing my choices. Meanwhile feed isn't getting any cheaper; it’s a vicious cycle, ugh. lol

[Suki]

Well Lee if you use the head method you'll find you don't question yourself as much because you have a ruler to guide your choices.  I am like you and hang onto longer than I should which is an expensive habit but at least now with the grass is high with the summer nigh, it's not too bad but I use cages at night so the girls can get more gruel then.  That seems to make everyone happy.

[Suki]

Here's a nice article from the Pigeon Breeders on the imporance of culling...

Culling
Never start in-breeding with anything but the very best stock you can get. In-breeding quickly shows up all the good qualities, by allowing the best association of genes, but it also shows up the faults so you must be able to identify and cull. This year from 20 birds I only kept 2 for breeding rest were either given away or culled. By culling you are making a great progress. You must persevere with the program and not make an outcross. An outcross produces variability and in-breeding is done to reduce variability, although in the beginning in-breeding would appear to heighten variability, which is until you have removed the undesirables.

http://www.ftcna.com/breeding.html

[Lee G]

Thanks BrownEyes. I don't mean to be redundant. Just my indecisive nature showing itself again, sorry. lol  I'm already driving my poor husband batty wanting to know what he thinks of my birds, which to be perfectly honest, isn't much beyond wondering what recipe I'm planning on using next.  Brakes now applied! 

And good heads I have, it's everything else that needs work. heh But you're right. I know what I like, and I even have a half ass plan to get myself there. 

Time to reread my SOP, and get back out in the chicken yard and work my eye. Sure wish I could invite you all over for some of the fun. I'd even make pecan pie! 

[Stan Alder]

Pee-can pie!! Oh my....I'll crank the bus and pick up any travelers from the south..

[Lee G]

lol Stan. Pie is like bacon. It makes everything better! 

[Suki]

Pecan Pie is my absolute favorite...I'll definitely hitch a ride with the birthday boy.

[Suki]

Well this assessment from the Buckeye Breeders may help LeeGee

[Lee G]

  Mine too, BrownEyes. Yum.

And thank you for the link to the very handy chart! I love using stuff like that. 

[Suki]

I'm glad I could help LeeGee.