Are two roosters too much for one hen???

[newchickenfan]

This is my first post and I do need help. We hatched three buff orpingtons and they have been in our good care from the beginning. They are 6 months old and beautiful. I am new to owning chickens as you can see by my name. All three seem to be getting along great and there is no conflict. One of the roosters is quite sweet with me as well. However, do you believe it necessary for me to get rid of at least one of them. How much rooster is too much for one hen? I hate to split them up.

Rosie

 

[jjthink]

Can you add a few hens?
Usually 1 hen and 2 roos will turn out to be a problem. I have 1 very gentle roo who is always kind to his one hen friend but it doesn't always work out that way and he doesn;t have another oo around to get upset with.
JJ

 

[ibpboo]

Yes, two roosters is too much for one hen. Keep holding the roosters and carrying them around as much as possible. When they get older is when they start getting aggressive. I don't keep a rooster, but once when I bought some chicks, one was a rooster. I forget exactly how old he was before he turned aggressive, but he always tore up one hen the most, and I had 5. Then he started attacking me, and since I had small children at the time, I rehomed him.

 

[Katy]

I'd add some more hens...or get rid of one of the roos. It's recommended to have at least 10 hens for every roo.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

If you have more than one rooster, the recommended ratio is a minimum of ten to twelve hens per each rooster. I guess that's enough to keep them too busy and distracted, so that they don't fight with one another.

 

[sewincircle]

Yup, too much. The roos will fight over her. I agree with the post above. 10 hens or more to one roo. I have a very nice roo who keeps everyone in line but not all roos are like him. You may want to rethink having two roos or think about gaining a bunch of hens. Good luck!

 

[spook]

I had 1 roo to 4 hens and the hens were skun, bleeding and tired of dealing with a overly armourus roo...and that was one. Now I have seen this same roo with a flock of older hens- 20 of them and they do not put up with his crap...and no feather issues.
When you have 2 roos, it is their nature to fight until the "better man" wins. So you are going to be setting one up to fail or be killed, that is what they are hard wired to do, all animals.
But, if you keep handling them, you still have a chance of having an aggressive roo that will attack you. Its natural, nature. Good luck!

 

[newchickenfan]

Thank you so much for all your advice. I want to do right by all these birds. It seems the consensus is that I get rid of at least one rooster, if not both. Even though the recommendation is 10 hens for 1 roo, do you think with no competition I could keep one of the roos by adding only 1 or 2 hens? I want to be practical, but of course I'm attached.

Rosie

 

[spook]

who knows, you may be able to keep them together, one of course being alpha. Try it, if you get in a handful of girls, the possibly one roo will accept one hen the other with the rest and be fine. My roo that I had was young and "in Love"! lol.
Again, try it, who knows where you raised them together.

 

[dancingbear]

Rosie, are you limited to just a few birds? If you can't keep more than a few, you'd probably be better off with either all hens, or no more than one roo.

You can just take a "wait and see" stance, people tell me surprising things about chicken and other animal behaviors all the time. You can always get rid of a roo later, if he becomes a problem. But often, one roo with only one hen will be too much for the hen. They are geared to service about a dozen hens.

You might want to set up a separate pen ahead of time, so if one of your boys becomes a problem, you can lock him up while you decide what to do with him.