depending on room and total birds, you can get away with as low as 5 if you have a gentle roo or as high as 20 if you have a rough roo if you are wanting good fertility 8 is a good number.
Thanks! I have plenty of space so that's good Right now I have 7 hens and 1 roo, he's awesome
And I am adding significantly to my total, I will have 16-20 (some BO's, 2 SS and some Welsummers). So the total is really depending on the straight run of Wellies. Was thinking if I got roos I should probably keep one?
And from what I've gathered, they will split the hens? Hopefully that's a peaceful, smooth process
Thinking the ones I have now would be with my current roo and then all the new ones would be with the new rooster? I got so lucky with our roo now, I'm praying I get another good one!
you can keep two with that, they can sometimes fight over the hens at that point I would go down to one and pick the nicer of the two, not all roos will want all the girls but I started having that problem.
Thank you! That helps I wasn't sure if one roo could tend to that many, so that's good to know! I have such a good balance right now and am fearful of changing things so drastically for them, BUT we need more eggs than what we are able to get with just my 7 girls now, so. Maybe my roo now will be okay with that many on his own
I think I will play it by ear, I'm hopeful that my roo will do as good a job as he did with my two broody hatched chicks (1 cockerel, 1 pullet). He kept them in line, but was gentle and protective at the same time Just love him! And my mom has the cockerel now and he is a chip off the old block
So if I do end up with any cockerels I'm hopeful that everyone will live in harmony...one can dream right? lol!