This keep is laid out for 28 days
Your keep feed should be at least 21% protein. Feed in the morning and at night. Morning feed should be soaked in milk, night feeding should be dry. For the first 14 days give a piece of fruit or vegetable at mid-day. 15 through 27 day give a small ball of hamburger ( about half the size of a dime ) and a piece of apple of the same size. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the hamburger and the apple ( 15 through 27 days ). 26 and 27 days Mix 3 teaspoons of cinnamon and one teaspoon of sugar together. Sprinkle a little over morning and night feedings. Also put 20 drops of Dextrose on morning and night feedings for each cock.
I rotate my cocks in to different pens. Every pen is a different shape or size. I use 4'x4'x4' pens, 2'x2'x2' drop out pens, 4' wide x 4' high x 12 long run pens, 10' tie cords, and 4' wide x 8' high x 8' long fly pens.
4'x4'x4' pens are used for scratch pens. They are a wrapped in plywood around the bottom at one foot high. The rest of it is wire. The first one will have straw in the bottom. The second will have 6" of sand in the bottom. The third will have horse droppings in it about 6" high. Fourth will have loose rich (black) top soil in it. Fifth has cow droppings in it at 6" deep. Six through ten is in the same order as one trough five.
2'x2'x2' drop out pens are used to get the cocks familiar to them. I keep the drop out pens on fresh grass at all times.
4'x4'x12' run pens are used to get the cocks lungs and legs in shape. There are all in one roll about a 1 1/2 apart. They will run back and fourth the whole time they are in them trying to get to the other cocks.
The ten foot tie cords are atached to plastic barrels. One barrel on the bottom standing up right with a barrel attached to the top of it laying on it side. The barrel on the top has both ends cut out with wire over each end with a door in the back. I put a hen in the barrel so the cock can see her but can't get to her. The tie cords should be about 3 1/2 feet apart. Between each tie cord place a hen in a drop out pen. The cocks will fly back and fourth between hens the whole time they are on them.
I have my fly pens set up so that the cocks can see each other. What I mean by this is that the bottoms are 30" high in plywood. From there on up is wire with a tin roof. The first one has a swing type roost at 6' high in the middle of the pen. The second has a roost about 6" off the ground in the middle. The third has a roost at 6' high at the front of the pen. It comes off of the font wall right beside the door. It is only about 8" wide and sets about 1 1/2 from the wall. Four is the same as two. Five is the same one. Six is the same as two. Seven is the same as three. Eight in the same as two. Nine is the same as one. Ten is the same as two.
All pen are numbered 1 through 10. All cocks are numbered 1 through 10. A Cock never goes back in the same pen in a 10 hour period. Here's the system:
Day 1:
Place hens in fly pen numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. One in each pen. Spar cocks, worm and delouse. Place in fly pens. Cock one in pen one, cock two in two, and so on. You will notice the cocks with no hens in the pen with them flying up and down of the roost polls to see what's going on in the other pen. Give them fresh water and leave them alone for the rest of the day. NO FEED!!!
Day 2:
The cocks will be sick from the wormer you used on them the day before. Pull them out of the fly pens and set them in the drop out pens for a couple of hours on fresh grass. All the drop out pens are the same. So they have no numbers. Pick them up after a couple of hours and place them in the 4'x4'x4' scratch pens. Feed a sour feed. I used wheat bread and butter milk. Leave them there the rest of the day as they are still working the worms out of them and are still a little sick from them.
Day 3:
The work begins. Pull the cocks out of the scrach pens and put them in the run pens for two hours. Cock one in pen one, cock two in pen two,and so on. After two hours pick them up and place on tie cords for two hours. Cock one on cord one, cock two on cord two, and so on. Then pick them up and place in fly pens for two hours. Cock 10 in pen 1, cock 1 in pen 2, cock 2 in pen 3, cock 3 in pen 4, cock 4 in pen 5, cock 5 in pen 6, cock 6 in pen 7, cock 7 in pen 8, cock 8 in pen 9, cock 9 in pen 10. A cock never goes back in the pen he started in tell he goes through a full rotation of all pen numbers. Two hour later put them in the drop out pens for a couple of hours. Then to the 4'x4'x4' scratch pens for the rest of the night. Cocks go in the same number order as the fly pens.
Day 4:
Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 3. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 3. Then to the fly pens for two hours. Cock 9 in pen 1, cock 10 in pen 2, cock 1 in pen 3, cock 2 in pen 4, cock 3 in pen 5, cock 4 in pen 6, cock 5 in pen 7, cock 6 in pen 8, cock 7 in pen 9, cock 8 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for two hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 5:
Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 4. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 4. Then to the fly pens for two hours.Cock 8 in pen 1, cock 9 in pen 2, cock 10 in pen 3, cock 1 in pen 4, cock 2 in pen 5, cock 3 in pen 6, cock 4 in pen 7, cock 5 in pen 8, cock 6 in pen 9, cock 7 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for two hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 6:
Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 5. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 5. Then to the fly pens for two hours. Cock 7 in pen 1, cock 8 in pen 2, cock 9 in pen 3, cock 10 in pen 4, cock 1 in pen 5, cock 2 in pen 6, cock 3 in pen 7, cock 4 in pen 8, cock 5 in pen 9, cock 6 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for two hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 7:
SPARE COCKS!!! Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 6. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 6. Then to the fly pens for two hours. Cock 6 in pen 1, cock 7 in pen 2, cock 8 in pen 3, cock 9 in pen 4, cock 10 in pen 5, cock 1 in pen 6, cock 2 in pen 7, cock 3 in pen 8, cock 4 in pen 9, cock 5 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for two hours. Then to the scratch pen for two hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 8:
Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 7. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 7. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 7 in pen 1, cock 8 in pen 2, cock 9 in pen 3, cock 10 in pen 4, cock 1 in pen 5, cock 2 in pen 6, cock 3 in pen 7, cock 4 in pen 8, cock 5 in pen 9, cock 6 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 6 in pen 1, cock 7 in pen 2, cock 8 in pen 3, cock 9 in pen 4, cock 10 in pen 5, cock 1 in pen 6, cock 2 in pen 7, cock 3 in pen 8, cock 4 in pen 9, cock 5 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 9:
Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 8. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 8. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 5 in pen 1, cock 6 in pen 2, cock 7 in pen 3, cock 8 in pen 4, cock 9 in pen 5, cock 10 in pen 6, cock 1 in pen 7, cock 2 in pen 8, cock 3 in pen 9, cock 4 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 4 in pen 1, cock 5 in pen 2, cock 6 in pen 3, cock 7 in pen 4, cock 8 in pen 5, cock 9 in pen 6, cock 10 in pen 7, cock 1 in pen 8, cock 2 in pen 9, cock 3 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 10:
Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 9. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 9. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 3 in pen 1, cock 4 in pen 2, cock 5 in pen 3, cock 6 in pen 4, cock 7 in pen 5, cock 8 in pen 6, cock 9 in pen 7, cock 10 in pen 8, cock 1 in pen 9, cock 2 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 2 in pen 1, cock 3 in pen 2, cock 4 in pen 3, cock 5 in pen 4, cock 6 in pen 5, cock 7 in pen 6, cock 8 in pen 7, cock 9 in pen 8, cock 10 in pen 9, cock 1 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 11:
Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 10. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 10. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 1 in pen 1, cock 2 in pen 2, cock 3 in pen 3, cock 4 in pen 4, cock 5 in pen 5, cock 6 in pen 6, cock 7 in pen 7, cock 8 in pen 8, cock 9 in pen 9, cock 10 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 10 in pen 1, cock 1 in pen 2, cock 2 in pen 3, cock 3 in pen 4, cock 4 in pen 5, cock 5 in pen 6, cock 6 in pen 7, cock 7 in pen 8, cock 8 in pen 9, cock 9 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 12:
Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 11. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 11. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 9 in pen 1, cock 10 in pen 2, cock 1 in pen 3, cock 2 in pen 4, cock 3 in pen 5, cock 4 in pen 6, cock 5 in pen 7, cock 6 in pen 8, cock 7 in pen 9, cock 8 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 8 in pen 1, cock 9 in pen 2, cock 10 in pen 3, cock 1 in pen 4, cock 2 in pen 5, cock 3 in pen 6, cock 4 in pen 7, cock 5 in pen 8, cock 6 in pen 9, cock 7 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for the rest of the night. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 13:
Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 12. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 12. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 7 in pen 1, cock 8 in pen 2, cock 9 in pen 3, cock 10 in pen 4, cock 1 in pen 5, cock 2 in pen 6, cock 3 in pen 7, cock 4 in pen 8, cock 5 in pen 9, cock 6 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 6 in pen 1, cock 7 in pen 2, cock 8 in pen 3, cock 9 in pen 4, cock 10 in pen 5, cock 1 in pen 6, cock 2 in pen 7, cock 3 in pen 8, cock 4 in pen 9, cock 5 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 14:
SPARE COCKS!!! Place in run pens for one hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 13. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 13. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 5 in pen 1, cock 6 in pen 2, cock 7 in pen 3, cock 8 in pen 4, cock 9 in pen 5, cock 10 in pen 6, cock 1 in pen 7, cock 2 in pen 8, cock 3 in pen 9, cock 4 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for one hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then to the run pens for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the tie cords for one hours. Same number order as the fly pens. Then to the fly pens for one hours. Cock 4 in pen 1, cock 5 in pen 2, cock 6 in pen 3, cock 7 in pen 4, cock 8 in pen 5, cock 9 in pen 6, cock 10 in pen 7, cock 1 in pen 8, cock 2 in pen 9, cock 3 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. REMOVE HENS FROM FLY PENS!!!
Day 15:
Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 14. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 14. Then to the fly pens for two hours. Cock 3 in pen 1, cock 4 in pen 2, cock 5 in pen 3, cock 6 in pen 4, cock 7 in pen 5, cock 8 in pen 6, cock 9 in pen 7, cock 10 in pen 8, cock 1 in pen 9, cock 2 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for the rest of the night. Then to the scratch pen for two hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 16:
Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 15. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 15. Then to the fly pens for two hours. Cock 2 in pen 1, cock 3 in pen 2, cock 4 in pen 3, cock 5 in pen 4, cock 6 in pen 5, cock 7 in pen 6, cock 8 in pen 7, cock 9 in pen 8, cock 10 in pen 9, cock 1 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for the rest of the night. Then to the scratch pen for two hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 17:
Place in run pens for two hours. In the same number order as the fly pens from day 16. Then to the tie cords for two hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 16. Then to the fly pens for two hours. Cock 1 in pen 1, cock 2 in pen 2, cock 3 in pen 3, cock 4 in pen 4, cock 5 in pen 5, cock 6 in pen 6, cock 7 in pen 7, cock 8 in pen 8, cock 9 in pen 9, cock 10 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for the rest of the night. Then to the scratch pen for two hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 18:
Put the cocks tie cords for three hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 17. Then to the fly pens for three hours. Cock 10 in pen 1, cock 1 in pen 2, cock 2 in pen 3, cock 3 in pen 4, cock 4 in pen 5, cock 5 in pen 6, cock 6 in pen 7, cock 7 in pen 8, cock 8 in pen 9, cock 9 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. NO MORE RUN PENS!!!
Day 19:
Put the cocks tie cords for three hours. Same number order as the fly pens from day 18. Then to the fly pens for three hours. Cock 9 in pen 1, cock 10 in pen 2, cock 1 in pen 3, cock 2 in pen 4, cock 3 in pen 5, cock 4 in pen 6, cock 5 in pen 7, cock 6 in pen 8, cock 7 in pen 9, cock 8 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for the rest of the night. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens.
Day 20:
NO MORE TIE CORDS!!! Put cocks in fly pens for four hours. Cock 8 in pen 1, cock 9 in pen 2, cock 10 in pen 3, cock 1 in pen 4, cock 2 in pen 5, cock 3 in pen 6, cock 4 in pen 7, cock 5 in pen 8, cock 6 in pen 9, cock 7 in pen 10. Then to the drop out pens for one hours. Then to the scratch pen for two hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Put them back in the drop out pens for one hour. Then put them in the fly pens for rest of the night. Cock 7 in pen 1, cock 8 in pen 2, cock 9 in pen 3, cock 10 in pen 4, cock 1 in pen 5, cock 2 in pen 6, cock 3 in pen 7, cock 4 in pen 8, cock 5 in pen 9, cock 6 in pen 10.
Day 21:
SPARE COCKS!!! Drop cocks out in drop out pens for one hour. Then put then in the scratch pen for two hours. Same cock number to the same pen number as fly pens. Then back out in the drop out pens for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pen for the rest of the night. Cock 6 in pen 1, cock 7 in pen 2, cock 8 in pen 3, cock 9 in pen 4, cock 10 in pen 5, cock 1 in pen 6, cock 2 in pen 7, cock 3 in pen 8, cock 4 in pen 9, cock 5 in pen 10.
Day 22:
NO MORE SCRATCH PENS!!!Drop cocks out in drop out pens for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pen. Cock 5 in pen 1, cock 6 in pen 2, cock 7 in pen 3, cock 8 in pen 4, cock 9 in pen 5, cock 10 in pen 6, cock 1 in pen 7, cock 2 in pen 8, cock 3 in pen 9, cock 4 in pen 10. Put them back out in drop out pen at mid-day for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pens for the night. Cock 4 in pen 1, cock 5 in pen 2, cock 6 in pen 3, cock 7 in pen 4, cock 8 in pen 5, cock 9 in pen 6, cock 10 in pen 7, cock 1 in pen 8, cock 2 in pen 9, cock 3 in pen 10.
Day 23:
Drop cocks out in drop out pens for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pen. Cock 3 in pen 1, cock 4 in pen 2, cock 5 in pen 3, cock 6 in pen 4, cock 7 in pen 5, cock 8 in pen 6, cock 9 in pen 7, cock 10 in pen 8, cock 1 in pen 9, cock 2 in pen 10. Put them back out in drop out pen at mid-day for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pens for the night. Cock 2 in pen 1, cock 3 in pen 2, cock 4 in pen 3, cock 5 in pen 4, cock 6 in pen 5, cock 7 in pen 6, cock 8 in pen 7, cock 9 in pen 8, cock 10 in pen 9, cock 1 in pen 10.
Day 24:
Drop cocks out in drop out pens for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pen. Cock 1 in pen 1, cock 2 in pen 2, cock 3 in pen 3, cock 4 in pen 4, cock 5 in pen 5, cock 6 in pen 6, cock 7 in pen 7, cock 8 in pen 8, cock 9 in pen 9, cock 10 in pen 10. Put them back out in drop out pen at mid-day for one hour. Then put them back in the fly pens for the night. Cock 10 in pen 1, cock 1 in pen 2, cock 2 in pen 3, cock 3 in pen 4, cock 4 in pen 5, cock 5 in pen 6, cock 6 in pen 7, cock 7 in pen 8, cock 8 in pen 9, cock 9 in pen 10.
Day 25:
Leave them alone. Don't move any of them.
Day 26 through 28:
Put in holding pens. DO NOT BLACK THEM OUT!!! You want them to stay alert. Make sure no hens or yard chickens can enter the area you have them in. Keep them calm and alert.
Your last feed should be 17 hours from weigh in time. Make sure you have them weighed in before the 17 hours is up. Feed two kernels of corn to each cock at the end of the 17 hour period and every two hour after that.
Boil whole corn, about one quart full, tell in cracks. Drain the water off. Put it in a bowl and cover it with milk. This is what you give them after the 17 hour period. ONLY 2 PIECES TO EACH BIRD!!!
-DocMoll
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