What's your ratio??

[groleau6]

I have heard it several ways, but I think it comes down to personal choice. So, what's your ratio of roosters to hens?

 

[Free Feather]

We do just fine with 1 to 4, but none of the boys are older than ten months.

 

[AmericanMom]

Disclaimer... Free feather...I am not following you around, you just seem to be posting on all the threads that I actually have experience with

As far as Hen to Roo ratio... Right now due to a massive molting and only counting the hens laying... 8/1... Once they all come back into lay it will be closer to 15/1

I have 2 active roosters and around 35 hens

 

[Mrs. K]

I try for 1 to 12...... but seldom am on target, now I have 1 with a layer, a broody hen, 3 point of lay pullets and 4 four week old chicks.

 

[angelfishfan]

Right now I have 20 ladies and two roo's. They seem to get along just fine. I think there are alot of variables. I had two other roosters before, with the same amount of ladies, and all they did was fight with each other.....

 

[Mallory8502]

1 rooster to 14 ladies, but I still have problems with over mating and missing feathers on the backs of a few hens. I think if they were free range all the time then this would not be an issue.

 

[aart]

I have heard it several ways, but I think it comes down to personal choice. So, what's your ratio of roosters to hens?

This might be highly dependent on what the goal is.....
......from breeding highly specified show/pure breed birds to avoiding over mated hens and/or fighting roosters.
Which in turn will also affect the facilities used to accomplish said goal.

 

[lazy gardener]

1/15. My hens are all looking fine. He thinks so too! A few of them are missing a couple of feathers on the backs of their heads from him. Mostly, it's the smaller ones. I think he has a harder time hitting the target with them. I don't think I'd carry more than one rooster, even if I had 30 hens. (Perish that thought!) When it comes time to breed, it's easy enough to put him with the selected breeders to ensure fertility. I seldom have an unfertilized egg.

 

[Free Feather]

I get away with a very small ratio because we free range, and everyone has about eight square feet in the coops. All the males sleep separately, but are together in the day. I only have one hen with a bare back, and she came that way. They have been together like this as long as they have been alive. I am hoping there will be no future issues. The boys may squabble with eachother every so often, but that is pretty normal. The girls are fine.

 

[bbqnmama]

I've got what may be a silly question on the topic of roosters to hens. I've got 17 hens and one rooster who's pretty well behaved. I've ordered 15 more chicks for spring and while I specified females I know it's quite possible one or two will be roosters. Given the ratios folks are putting out there I should be good on that front (I've also heard 3 roosters are better than 2?!).

I read that having the roosters sleep In separate quarters is a good thing.

So my next question is - how do you get the roosters to sleep in separate quarters? Will they just learn that the one coop is there and the other isn't if that's where they stay once they're ready to be moved outdoors?

Thanks!