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Hello, always room for more at Back Yard Chickens. Glad you joined the flock.
 
Welcome to BYC, Laura. Glad you decided to join our flock. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Do you have any chooks?
Cheers.
 
Michael OShay said:
Welcome to BYC, Laura. Glad you decided to join our flock. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Do you have any chooks?
Cheers.
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Thank you so much!
I have 4 pekin bantam hens and 2 cockerels (3 lavender, 3 splash black and white), 3 black tails, 1 white Sussex and her chick, 2 Clarence courts (1 grey, one black) and 3 white bantam silkies , one of which is a Cockeral!
 
chookchookme said:
Thank you so much!
I have 4 pekin bantam hens and 2 cockerels (3 lavender, 3 splash black and white), 3 black tails, 1 white Sussex and her chick, 2 Clarence courts (1 grey, one black) and 3 white bantam silkies , one of which is a Cockeral!
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You have a nice mixed flock, just be careful about your hen to rooster ratio. The recommended ratio is 10 hens for every 1 rooster as too many roosters can be very hard physically on your hens; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and tails, battering them, and even potentially, seriously injuring them. I currently have 25 hens and no roosters, and I get loads of eggs without the aggression, fighting, unproductive mouths to feed, crowing in the middle of the night, and over-breeding and battering of hens that goes along with having roosters (especially too many). And my hens are stress free and seem to be enjoying life without a rooster around. When you get right down to it, the only real reason you need a rooster is to fertilize eggs for hatching. Good luck with your flock.
 
Michael OShay said:
You have a nice mixed flock, just be careful about your hen to rooster ratio.  The recommended ratio is 10 hens for every 1 rooster as too many roosters can be very hard physically on your hens; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and tails, battering them, and even potentially, seriously injuring them.  I currently have 25 hens and no roosters, and I get loads of eggs without the aggression, fighting, unproductive mouths to feed, crowing in the middle of the night, and over-breeding and battering of hens that goes along with having roosters (especially too many).  And my hens are stress free and seem to be enjoying life without a rooster around.  When you get right down to it, the only real reason you need a rooster is to fertilize eggs for hatching. Good luck with your flock.
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Hello!
Many thanks for your advice, much appreciated. I do intend to breed with the bantams and silkies. It probably would be a good idea to get a few more hens in my little groups so the ratio is better.
I also love Cockerel crows! I find my hens cuddle up to them and use them as a safety blanket rather than get hassled/stressed by them and that the cockerels are always feeding the girls up, letting them know when he's discovered a tasty food source. Quite the gentlemen most of the time in fact! Haha.
So glad to have many friendly people chatting away :)
 
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chookchookme said:
Hello!
Many thanks for your advice, much appreciated. I do intend to breed with the bantams and silkies. It probably would be a good idea to get a few more hens in my little groups so the ratio is better.
I also love Cockerel crows! I find my hens cuddle up to them and use them as a safety blanket rather than get hassled/stressed by them and that the cockerels are always feeding the girls up, letting them know when he's discovered a tasty food source. Quite the gentlemen most of the time in fact! Haha.
So glad to have many friendly people chatting away
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O would definitely pick up some more hens then. I'm glad your cockerels are gentlemen now, but often they become more belligerent as they grow older. At least with the 10 to 1 ratio the rough treatment is spread out over a lot more hens. Good luck with your breeding. :eek:)
 

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