a few rooster questions

[PeepersMom]

I am fairly new to breeding chickens.....when is a rooster too old to breed?
can i breed the rooster with his own daughters? if i have 24 hens, how many roo's should i have (they are all in the same coop)

 

[Ridgerunner]

when is a rooster too old to breed?

It depends on the individual rooster. He will be most fertile the first two to three years of his life. He will slow down after that, but will most likely still be fertile.

can i breed the rooster with his own daughters?

In line breeding, it is not unusual for a rooster to be bred to his own daughter and granddaughter if that is the best way to enhance the trait the breeder is after. Any good traits will be enhanced but any bad traits can also be brought out. If you are getting good results from the line breeding, you can do it. If you get bad results, you need to get a new rooster.

if i have 24 hens, how many roo's should i have (they are all in the same coop)

Two fairly young active roosters should be sufficient to assure that most and probably all the hens are fertile. The normal rule of thumb is that one full-sized rooster can handle 10 to 12 hens. A bantam can handle 12 to 15 hens.