1 rooster, 2 hens, newbies!

[HunterRanch]

There we were in our backyard, just minding our own business, when a fine feathered friend walked right up to us! (Given our location in a quiet cul de sac, this is odd.) The little one was extremely friendly and immediately took to following us around like he'd been with us for years. Thinking it might've gotten away from our neighbors' up the street, we paid them a visit and after looking over their chickens, said it wasn't theirs. Being that their children are in 4H and the family has an overall passion for chickens, they helped us collect the little one and offer it a temporary safe home. Though it is little, they believe it to be a rooster, and a handsome little devil at that! Coincidently, we have been drawing up mobile coop blueprints to make in the next week or so! It is our hope to keep two hens for fresh, healthy eggs. We'd absolutely love to keep our new little rooster, but understand this could mean fertilized eggs and over mating on the two ladies. Does anyone have advice?? We're newbies at this, so please be gentle

What if we made our tractor coop double sided with wire divider?

 

[bobbi-j]

You are correct that if you have your rooster in with the hens, the eggs will be fertilized. Fortunately, it doesn't affect them as far as being edible. They will look and taste the same as unfertilized eggs. (With practice, one can tell the difference, but it doesn't really matter) If you collect your eggs every day, you will be fine. Chicks do not start to develop until they have been incubated in ideal conditions for about 24 hours. Even then, it's hard to see. Will your hens be over mated? Maybe. Maybe not. Chickens are flock animals, and I think it would only frustrate him to be kept separate from the hens.

 

[HunterRanch]

Yes, we plan to collect the eggs daily so fertilized eggs is less of a concern. Perhaps we build our tractor two sided, that way we always have the option, but do our best to let them mingle.

Is there anything to be said for age difference/maturity? We've considered getting adult hens to start, so maybe with him being so young (our knowledgeable neighbors even took a minute to discuss the sex, but decided on male due to his neck feather coming in) he might be less apt to pester them, and they might more likely to put him in his place?

 

[jtn42248]

My first suggestion would be to make sure you are allowed to keep roosters where you live. All too often there are post here on BYC seeking re-homing a rooster because they are not allowed. If you can keep him do not separate him from the hens. They are flock animals and need to be together to develop the fine points of the flock hierarchy. Depending on his breed there may be no problem with just two hens to one rooster. However, if there is over breeding due to only two hens your hens could be seriously injured or killed. I would consider getting more hens. The "rule of thumb" seems to be 6-10 hens per rooster. I had two roosters with 24 hens and the dominant rooster had to be removed because he had almost killed the other rooster. You will, I am sure, get additional and better advice on this issue here but that has been my experience.

Oh, the dominant rooster that we had to get rid of was a Mediterranean breed and they tend to be more aggressive.

 

[bobbi-j]

Adult hens will teach him some manners. If he's just a baby, though, you might want to wait until he's closer to his full size before getting them. The above poster has a good point about checking to see if you can even keep a rooster where you live. I live on a farm, so that one is never on my radar.

 

[HunterRanch]

Yes, we are allowed to have roosters. The neighbors that are housing him until we build our coop tractor are across the way and have a few themselves.

Unfortunately, more than two hens is not a possibility at this time.

Here's a picture of the little devil in question. He was very sweet and hardly put up any fuss when we caught him.

 

[bobbi-j]

He is sweet for now. That may or may not change in the next few weeks as he reaches his sexual maturity. Not trying to rain on your parade, just prepare you for the possibility that it could happen.