2 Roosters, 12 Hens - Small flock with multiple roosters?

[chickentowns]

I know nobody can make this decision for me, but this is my first flock and I’d really appreciate your advice. Our chickens are 15 weeks old and two of them are cockerels, a Blue Laced Wyandotte and a Barred Plymouth Rock. They are both beautiful.

All 12 chickens have grown up together since day 1 and get along quite well, including the roosters. Now that I’ve discovered I have 2 roosters, I assume I should probably get rid of one as I don’t want them to stress the hens. I have seen overbred hens and I don’t want to do that to my girls.

I’ve keep reading online about the rule of 10 hens to every 1 rooster, but I have also seen the qualification of “5 to 1 if it’s a heavy breed”. But that “5:1 heavy breed” statement doesn’t seem to have a lot of detail in the articles I’ve read. Are Wyandottes and Barred Rocks breeds where I could get away with my current ratio of 6:1? Is it too risky?

I’d love to keep them both because we’ve grown attached to them, but I don’t want to put my girls at risk.

If I DO have to get rid of one, is there an age where I should make the call? They’re both so even tempered as of now.

More detail on their setup: They have a large coop, and the run is about 700 square feet with various areas to entertain them. As of now, I only allow them to free range when I’m outside as I worry about predators.

 

[sourland]

Hen to rooster ratios are mostly given for maximum fertility; although, overbreeding especially with heavy rooters is a possibility. Depending on the temperament of the cockerels involved your ratio may work, but I would have a Plan B in mind in case things do not work out.

 

[chickentowns]

Hen to rooster ratios are mostly given for maximum fertility; although, overbreeding especially with heavy rooters is

Thank you for your reply! I hope their temperaments will be good enough to keep both. You're probably right, maybe I'll just wait it out and make the tough call if/when it becomes an issue.

 

[Mrs. K]

Being raised together, really has almost no influence on chicken behavior. Currently they are in the darling stage, shortly the hormones will kick in and that can change everything.

They might truly get through this and not cause a ruckus, but do create a plan B that is set up and ready to go. With a way to separate them from each other or from the flock if needed. A fish net with a short handle, leather gloves, wearing a coat or a sweatshirt and a dog crate at hand.

Have it set up and ready to go, cause they won't wait.

Cockerels around 14-18 weeks come into their own. Some are great roosters and rise to leadership of the hens. Some are not quite that but manage to live in the flock. Some birds can become aggressive towards another male, or toward the pullets who are not quite ready for sex, or towards people. If you have young children under the age of six, they tend to be attacked first, then women and finally anybody.

If they get very rough with the pullets, pulling them out for 2-3 months until all the pullets are laying is a good idea. Then you can try again and see.

It is hard to believe the darling can become the nightmare, but he can, and there are a lot of posts to prove it, now is the time you need to be very aware of your roosters.

Inexperienced people often vastly underestimate how violent they can be.

Mrs K

 

[Sequoia Raven Bird Farms]

HI!! Hope you have had luck with getting an answer, seems like mixed emotions. Butt for me, my roosters got along with eachother for a longgg time. I only started to sell some because of feed consumtion, but they were being quite freindly to the hens. I have a mix of many breeeds (Small, bantam, large, heavy, whatever) and they're all okay with eachother. As long as they have enough room I think, and don't get any more. That's my 3 chicken cents. Take as you want. Bye now.

 

[HollyHawk]

Plan B is good. We had to implement here. 2 Plymouth Rocks roos 6 months now and we had to separate them. Rocky is over zealous with the girls but they are coming around. Pip is spastic with the girls and Ricky his egg mate. So each has 1/2 of a pen, run and sleeping quarters. Although Rocky sleeps with the girls inside his condo. My issue is my older hens. They want nothing to do with the either of the boys. My younger girls are doing much better. Guess we will wait to see what will happen.