BRAHMA : How many hens per rooster

[Mrs. K]

They don't call it cock fighting for nothing. I would want over 30-50 hens to keep 4 roosters.

"do not take anything you feel sorry for..." is very good advice in chickens. It sounds like you have a beautiful flock that is working well. Adding more roosters to this, is going to cause a lot of strife to your hens and your current roosters, no other way around it. I would not want to risk my current flock dynamics.

Roosters that not aggressive with roosters they know is not the same thing as being with strange roosters. Strange roosters tend to fight.

If you do add new chickens, THEN add new roosters. Rooster do not understand the idea of sharing and certainly won't wait for more hens and be good in the meantime.

Mrs K

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

...4 hens per rooster would not be dangerous?

I don't have any experience with adult Brahma roosters : the ones I currently own are my first ones, and they are only around one-year-old...

One started mating earlier I tought he would; but he is not for now, because he is confined because of his condition...

But the other one is mating, but it does not look like it is a favorite sport of his : compared to my previous rooster, I find him to not be making a lot of mating.
(But he fertilize the eggs, so he has to do a good job at least...?)
...Even then, I don't know if 4 hens would really suffice for him, once spring is here?



Good to know. Thank you for the information...!!
Nevertheless, even if cockerels are gentle, they sadly could change their behaviour when they mature...

Would you know about Marans ROOSTERS, specifically - not cockerels?



I did not even know it could be possible; ah, ah!

Id say atleast 4 hens per rooster.
If i were to it would be a flock of atleast 8 per rooster.
Well all my cockerels went to amazing homes and im being updated on them and so far they are all still gentle and mating.
I dont know about roosters behaviors when they are older unfortunately where i live i cant own them because of the crowing.

 

[Papaye]

"do not take anything you feel sorry for..." is very good advice in chickens.

I feel sorry, true, but I actually also planned to take two new Brahma roosters eventually : a Golden Partridge, and a Blue Partridge.
And the ones I am, or was now, thinking about bringing home have exactly these colours, and it is usually so hard to procure them in my area I will probably regret to not get them while I can...

It sounds like you have a beautiful flock that is working well.

Yes.
Hierarchy does not even change. Ever. (...I'm lucky!)
(Not taking into account the times when I bring new hens home... but these ones always stay at the bottom of the hierarchy, and eventually end up having their own hierarchy and forming a subgroup...)

Adding more roosters to this, is going to cause a lot of strife to your hens and your current roosters, no other way around it. I would not want to risk my current flock dynamics.

Roosters that not aggressive with roosters they know is not the same thing as being with strange roosters. Strange roosters tend to fight.

You are right!!

And now, I feel I will probably not take any new rooster for the time being - at least for some months.
(But I would take a really, really young cockerel, since new hens will be coming home with me anyway before the boy has the time to mature...)

...Sad for these roosters, since they thus are going to be culled; but my chickens are more important for me : compared to the roosters I'm interested in, my birds already are pets. And so, being their owner, I have the duty to think about their well-being first - and NOT endanger them in any way, for any reason!

If you do add new chickens, THEN add new roosters. Rooster do not understand the idea of sharing and certainly won't wait for more hens and be good in the meantime.

I will do like you say, and NOT add any new rooster before buying more hens.
You are right to point that, and I could not take any risk for my chickens and then pretend to have done the best I could for them if ever one of them end up hurt - or DEAD - because of my (stupid) decision...

I dont know about roosters behaviors when they are older unfortunately where i live i cant own them because of the crowing.

...That's really a shame!