Are these light Sussexes?

[TheOddOneOut]

I’m going to let the roosters off free range on the farm...and they can take their chances

That’s not great either, unless I misunderstood it sounds like you’re going to abandon them? I’m sorry you’re in this situation, but please, don’t. That is a cruel way to deal with roosters. If you must put them down, please just have a neighbor butcher them or something.
And you could do a boys-only flock, too.
I don’t mean to overstep. They’re your birds. I just don’t agree with leaving them to fend for themselves.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

There is no way I will leave the roosters with the pullet, but I read on another thread about all roosters flocks, I might try that and see if they don’t hurt each other too bad. We have another rooster tho (I know it sounds awful, our flock consists of 6 roosters and 4 hens ) and I would really like to keep him, preferably with the hens, so would one rooster and 4 hens be manageable? Or would I need to get more hens...

Probably one bot and four girls is okay. But if you see broken feathers, bare scalps and bare backs, he is over-tending them.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I'm going to have to agree. My first batch of chickens (I was only probably 10 years old) we had four pullets and four cockerels and honestly didn't know any better. Obviously we figured it out real fast after everyone matured but it was such a deeply unsettling experience that I am totally against having a rooster over too few hens. They were Silkies which is a docile breed but they still bloodied each other up and my heart would break for the poor pullets. I cannot even imagine how bad it would be with only one pullet for that many cockerels. Right now I have one rooster over nine hens and all but one are saddled up due to defeathering. Your pullet will get killed. I recommend rehoming as soon as you can. There are some issues that can be debated but this is not one of them. You cannot have more cockerels than pullets

Agreed. Young males get so, so....erm...energized. And with five of them... you can imagine. I wouldn’t agree with leaving a single pullet in with even one young male.
I mean, all they do is try to breed them. Being the only girl with them would be living hell. Once the hormones start, I would say she stays acceptably healthy for a week at most, if they haven’t torn up her comb and feathers by then.

 

[Cluckbait]

I think one and six are pullets. Six might be a speckled Sussex mix, and her comb, while a bit larger, still seems much more yellow than the boys. Could be her breed, but I’m guessing one and six are your girls. The rest definitely do look like fellas

 

[Reliablesquirrel]

That’s not great either, unless I misunderstood it sounds like you’re going to abandon them? I’m sorry you’re in this situation, but please, don’t. That is a cruel way to deal with roosters. If you must put them down, please just have a neighbor butcher them or something.
And you could do a boys-only flock, too.
I don’t mean to overstep. They’re your birds. I just don’t agree with leaving them to fend for themselves.

Oh no, I don’t plan on leaving them there. They would have a house and access to food and water and everything, like a rooster only flock, but I will let them wander around as they please. There is a risk that they will be taken by a fox, but I think that is a happier life for a rooster than them being stuck together in a small pen

 

[Reliablesquirrel]

I think one and six are pullets. Six might be a speckled Sussex mix, and her comb, while a bit larger, still seems much more yellow than the boys. Could be her breed, but I’m guessing one and six are your girls. The rest definitely do look like fellas

Thank you, nice to know there’s still hope of more pullets!

 

[Reliablesquirrel]

Thanks 4 all the info, I think I’m going to try an all roosters flock, and if that doesn’t work I’ll have to rethink

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Oh no, I don’t plan on leaving them there. They would have a house and access to food and water and everything, like a rooster only flock, but I will let them wander around as they please. There is a risk that they will be taken by a fox, but I think that is a happier life for a rooster than them being stuck together in a small pen

Oh, okay. That sounds okay.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Oh no, I don’t plan on leaving them there. They would have a house and access to food and water and everything, like a rooster only flock, but I will let them wander around as they please. There is a risk that they will be taken by a fox, but I think that is a happier life for a rooster than them being stuck together in a small pen

If you want to free range your hens as well (instead of keeping them cooped up all the time) you could let them out on alternating days. For instance, letting out the roosters on Monday, the hens on Tuesday, etc.

 

[Cluckbait]

Thanks 4 all the info, I think I’m going to try an all roosters flock, and if that doesn’t work I’ll have to rethink

For a while we had FIVE brothers and two hens, and they all lived for about six months together, typically with no fights. We were able to rehome them one at a time and now they all have their own flocks to love. But they did fine together while they were here... although we kept the rowdiest one which we didn’t know at first, but now realize he was the best man for the job. Lots of people breed that out of Roos but I think there’s something to be said about a rowdy boy, he does his job SO well!