4 Roosters and 1 Hen - Can it work?

[luckylefty]

I was given 5 baby chicks just after they hatched and I did not know the gender. Now that they are growing older (almost 2 months now) I have discovered that I have 4 roosters and 1 hen. (Unless it is possible for a hen to have a comb because 2 of the "roosters" have smaller combs than the others. The hen has no comb at all, so I am sure about her!) Right now they seem to live together without any problem, but I worry that once they begin mating, the roosters will begin fighting each other or the 4 roosters to 1 hen ratio will simply be too much on my hen.

I built a chicken ark that houses them all. They stay in this together when they are sleeping and while I am at work. I allow them time to free range in the yard when I get home until they go back in to roost for the night. Can you keep 4 roosters together in the relatively small space and them not hurt one another once they are grown?

I appreciate any advice. I am a first time chicken owner! Thanks!

 

[silkiechicken]

If you post pics, we can probably figure out gender at 2 months old. If the breeds differ, combs can be confusing to the first timer. That said, 4 roos to one girl is asking for one over stressed bald over mated female. Even one roo to one hen can be pushing it depending on the rooster.

 

[Southernchickens]

Hens have combs too they are just smaller than a roosters comb.

 

[sourland]

Four roosters without any hens free ranged might work. Four roosters with one hen is a disaster in many forms just waiting to hatch.

 

[Coreyboy18]

Post some pics and we'll get to the bottom of this!

 

[PatS]

Yes, do post pics. Several of my 10 week old females have smallish combs.

4 boys and 1 girl = a terrible situation.
2 boys and 3 girls is not much better.

When two of my seven girls went broody and the rooster just had five girls to "visit," it was hard on the girls. Three of them still have bald patches on their backs, and the roo wasn't particularly hard on them.
A 1:10 or 1:12 ratio is optimal. (Were you looking for an excuse to get more chickens?)

 

[luckylefty]

This is not the best picture. They were already going to bed and headed upstairs for the night before I could go out and photograph. The older pictures I had of them didn't show their combs as much. The one in the far back is the 100% female, so the ones where you can see their faces are the ones in question. Really the one standing tallest and shortest are the ones that might possibly be hens too. I think the one in the front and the other one in the far back are definitely roosters. I don't know what breed they are, so just the head shot may not be enough to tell. Thanks for all your help with this! I will try to get a better picture tomorrow.

 

[Mrs. K]

not a lot of experience here, but they look like hens to me??

 

[math ace]

Better pictures of them would help - - - They are so o o o o cute !

 

[lovinlife]

I have four bantams in a run/coop by themselves, it's 4'x8'. Three are roosters and one is a cute little hen. They were raised together and get along just fine.