rooster questions

[Panth]

I currently have 16 hens and one rooster. He is a real doll, very tame and friendly and a good watchroo, however he can only really keep his eye on about 5 hens at a time and I freerange over 4 acres. Hoping to get a few more roos for flock protection, I recently got 14 new EE chicks straightrun and ended up with at least 5 of them being cockerals. I don't mind the crowing, and have plenty of coop space. So my questions are: is 6 roos too many for 25 to 30 hens? (assuming they are friendly, I won't put up with them being aggresive to me). After they get the pecking order figured out, how much in-flock fighting do submissive roos do? And I have heard that most of the crowing is done by the dominant roo, is that right? Anything else you can tell me about a multi-rooster flock?

 

[AlienChick]

They will ALL crow.
And if they're raised together, there won't be much fighting.
Too many roosters just means that your poor hens are constantly harrassed.
I had 10 roosters with my 14 free-range hens.
The roosters were from a barnyard mix hatching I did to test a new incubator last year.
Well, the boys got into their teenage years with hormones raging and my poor hens just didn't stand a chance.
I ended up sending all the roosters to freezer camp last month.
To this day some of my hens still don't have their feathers on their back.
Right now I have one of my Silkie roosters out with the flock.
He chases tail all day long, but at least it's just one of him.

 

[galanie]

Yes 6 roos is too many. I'd not have more than three with 25-30 hens. If he can only watch 5 at a time then he's not keeping them together. Which isn't surprising since there are so many hens.

 

[Mrs. K]

the other question, is how old is your rooster?

IMHO - I don't think roosters really come into all their great traits until they are well over a year, and really closer to 18 months old.

MrsK

 

[Mrs. K]

Another question - are the chicks you have now, were they raised with the flock under this roo? Cause you might have introduction problems if not.

If you are free rangeing now, are you loosing any hens to predators?

 

[Panth]

Galanie: that is exactly what is happening, 4 or 5 stay will him and the rest completely scatter all over the 4 acres.

Mrs. K: He is just barely over a year old, his father was killed last year by a hawk while protecting his hens, so I know there are predators about, I have been very very lucky so far this year, but over the winter, they stay much closer to the barn, now that the trees are getting leaves they go farther out.

The new chicks weren't born in the flock, but have been in the coop with them since 3 weeks old and been loose with my rooster almost every day without any problems so far (luckily).