Are two roosters too many?

[lazy gardener]

Agreed, oops roo is no reason to keep him/them. Only reason to keep a roo, ever IMO is if you intend to hatch your own eggs. Now, if that's the case... what will you do with the approximately 60% of cockerels that result in every hatch?

If you are allowed to have roos in your neighborhood/zoning area, if you can stand the crowing that starts 1 hour before the crack of dawn, and often continues for hours on end, if you can stand the wear and tear that he will place on your pullet's backs, if you want to hatch eggs, and have an exit plan for future males, and if you can bring yourself to cull any abnormal/failure to thrive chicks that result, then keep a roo. However, I recommend that you keep ONLY one. A single roo can easily provide good fertility for 24 hens. 2 roos may get along now, but... sooner or later, you may be faced with a bloody battle. All things being equal with the cockerels, I suggest that you keep the RIR if his behavior is mellow. (though I've never met a RIR that was not a foul tempered individual) Reason being that he will produce some nice sex linked chicks with some of your girls.

For more info, read "the sex linked information chart."

 

[Mrs. K]

Beautiful set up, but the question I have is how old are your children, and do they share the area with the chickens? If they are less than 5, I would strongly recommend both roosters leaving. You have years to do this hobby, get a bit of experience and add them in the years to come.

 

[FeatheredChildren]

I have a RIR rooster who is absolutely the most loving pet. I, and many others who meet him, adore him! I do agree with what you state about their temperaments. My biggest thing is handling them a lot from the get-go and showing them love. Of course, there are some that stray from the rest but overall it breaks my heart that roosters have such a bad rep.

This morning was a devastating one for me, though as MY rammy got attacked by our ranch dog. All of his beautiful tail feathers ripped out and he was having trouble standing on his own. He has been at the vet and I'm going to follow up on his status shortly. Money is no object if he can be saved and live a healthy life. In my life NEVER would I have thought I'd become so attached to a rooster. Any prayers needed right now and hoping he makes it through. I don't remember the last time I cried that hard. Wow.
My uncle recently rescued some roosters..4 of them! They too will become part of the family thought not so sure I'm keeping them all with the ladies as 5 is too many for just 11 hens.

This occurrence is no one's fault either as my grandfather left the gate open by mistake due to his dimentia. Rammy did his job of protecting his ladies which was also somewhat surprising due to his loving and if anything, somewhat "scaredy-cat" temperament. The dog, well, just prey instinct. He does not come near the chickens when I supervise their free ranging. Yes, I'm protective and monitor them
Not to take up your post but just saying that my RIR rooster is my lovebug. Now, the two RIR hens are another story. I feel like they are broody every other week. Lil spitfires! Of course both of them were hiding in their coupe while the others were in a pack across the ranch and I only noticed due to one of them clucking to my mealworm bag shaking haha!

 

[Mrs. K]

@ Featherchildren, how long have you had chickens? I wish you the best, the 5 roosters are bond to give you some experience.

Mrs K

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have a RIR rooster who is absolutely the most loving pet. I, and many others who meet him, adore him! I do agree with what you state about their temperaments. My biggest thing is handling them a lot from the get-go and showing them love. Of course, there are some that stray from the rest but overall it breaks my heart that roosters have such a bad rep.

This morning was a devastating one for me, though as MY rammy got attacked by our ranch dog. All of his beautiful tail feathers ripped out and he was having trouble standing on his own. He has been at the vet and I'm going to follow up on his status shortly. Money is no object if he can be saved and live a healthy life. In my life NEVER would I have thought I'd become so attached to a rooster. Any prayers needed right now and hoping he makes it through. I don't remember the last time I cried that hard. Wow.
My uncle recently rescued some roosters..4 of them! They too will become part of the family thought not so sure I'm keeping them all with the ladies as 5 is too many for just 11 hens.

This occurrence is no one's fault either as my grandfather left the gate open by mistake due to his dimentia. Rammy did his job of protecting his ladies which was also somewhat surprising due to his loving and if anything, somewhat "scaredy-cat" temperament. The dog, well, just prey instinct. He does not come near the chickens when I supervise their free ranging. Yes, I'm protective and monitor them
Not to take up your post but just saying that my RIR rooster is my lovebug. Now, the two RIR hens are another story. I feel like they are broody every other week. Lil spitfires! Of course both of them were hiding in their coupe while the others were in a pack across the ranch and I only noticed due to one of them clucking to my mealworm bag shaking haha!

Hi, welcome to BYC!

So sorry your boy is at the vet, hope he pulls through. Sorry Gramps has dementia as well. That must be very difficult.

I do have a stag pen. And rooster can live together. DO NOT put all those boys in with your girls or you will be signing their death warrant.

You might consider training your dog.. Prey drive is natural, yes. But MANY dogs, even shelter pets can learn to live with the birds. Of course that won't be true for everyone. But it CAN be done.

Hang in there.

 

[lazy gardener]

A $29 remote E-collar broke my dog of her desire to see chickens run. She now will stand calmly among them while they run and flap and squawk. She only required 2 electronic corrections before she decided that chasing birds was not the right thing to do.

 

[disneyguy]

Referencing "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens", the author's recommendation is 3 roosters over 2 (assuming the proper ratio to hens is equally proportionate) so that the roos are a bit more equal, and one doesn't necessarily have complete domination over another.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Referencing "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens", the author's recommendation is 3 roosters over 2 (assuming the proper ratio to hens is equally proportionate) so that the roos are a bit more equal, and one doesn't necessarily have complete domination over another.

Interesting!

MOST of the time I do find having a few more in my stag pen to be more peaceful. The opposite of what you might expect. With the occasional need to put someone in check who has single out another.

 

[aart]

Referencing "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens", the author's recommendation is 3 roosters over 2 (assuming the proper ratio to hens is equally proportionate) so that the roos are a bit more equal, and one doesn't necessarily have complete domination over another.

I have heard this.....makes sense, provided there's plenty of space.

Interesting!

MOST of the time I do find having a few more in my stag pen to be more peaceful. The opposite of what you might expect. With the occasional need to put someone in check who has single out another.

I think same goes for any flock, the more birds the more distraction and/or just more heads to 'spread the love'...tho again, given adequate space.

 

[lazy gardener]

I agree, for the most part a larger flock = less drama.