At what age to harvest roosters

[clintbwell]

I’ve got four rhode island reds that I pulled from a straight run bin at tractor supply hoping for 50/50 cockerels and hens. And as luck would have it, I have four cockerels. Their 8 weeks old. And I’ve also got eight EE hens 7 weeks old in a separate brooder. I’ve got to get them out of the house and into the coop today or tomorrow before my wife has a fit. Is it ok to put the four boys with the girls in the coop. Or do I need to go ahead and dispatch 3 of them now. I don’t want them going crazy on my hens. It will be their first time meeting.

 

[Mrs. K]

You will need to keep them separate. They will be sexually active LONG before your pullets will be ready, and 4 will more than likely be merciless. Truthfully you need a bachelor pad or cull all 4 of them.

If you have a multi-generational flock with older birds that are bigger than the cockerels, or truly have a VERY large set up, then multiple cockerels can sometimes work in the flock as a whole. But if I read your post right, these youngsters are your only birds. The cockerels will get bigger faster than the girls, and will begin to bully them.

Often times, a cockerel raised with just flock mates, will become not only a bully to them, but can become human aggressive. If you have children under the age of 5, I strongly recommend you cull them all. If you are asking for advice, I recommend a hen only flock the first year, especially if you are truly in a back yard set up or have children sharing the yard. Roosters take some experience, and many people vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack. For a child, it will be at the level of the face.

Once the pullets begin to lay, look around for a mature rooster, as close to a year old as you can get. You will get a much better rooster. People often have a rooster that was an extra, that was so nice, they did not cull him, that is the rooster you want.

If you make a bachelor pad, you can watch them develop, and often times make a better decision as which is the best rooster. Do check SOP for the breed, check legs and feet that are straight, beaks that align, and other characteristics for the breed.

Mrs K

 

[Fairview01]

If you've been feeding a decent ration you'll be able to cull the RIR cockerels at around 12 weeks. I would simply house them all together for the next 4-6 weeks and then process them. But that is what I would do.

 

[clintbwell]

You will need to keep them separate. They will be sexually active LONG before your pullets will be ready, and 4 will more than likely be merciless. Truthfully you need a bachelor pad or cull all 4 of them.

If you have a multi-generational flock with older birds that are bigger than the cockerels, or truly have a VERY large set up, then multiple cockerels can sometimes work in the flock as a whole. But if I read your post right, these youngsters are your only birds. The cockerels will get bigger faster than the girls, and will begin to bully them.

Often times, a cockerel raised with just flock mates, will become not only a bully to them, but can become human aggressive. If you have children under the age of 5, I strongly recommend you cull them all. If you are asking for advice, I recommend a hen only flock the first year, especially if you are truly in a back yard set up or have children sharing the yard. Roosters take some experience, and many people vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack. For a child, it will be at the level of the face.

Once the pullets begin to lay, look around for a mature rooster, as close to a year old as you can get. You will get a much better rooster. People often have a rooster that was an extra, that was so nice, they did not cull him, that is the rooster you want.

If you make a bachelor pad, you can watch them develop, and often times make a better decision as which is the best rooster. Do check SOP for the breed, check legs and feet that are straight, beaks that align, and other characteristics for the breed.

Mrs K

not the answer I wanted, but it certainly is the answer I expected, I was afraid keeping just one rooster would still be a problem. darn it. I've just spent the last couple of weekends building a 4x10 coop and a 12x10 attached run. I don't have the funds to add anything else to it, or build additional at this time. Man i really wanted a rooster!
I don't know what to do now. culling 3 and keeping one would be great, if I had a place to house him.
Back in march I had this dandy idea that I wanted about 10 hens and a roo for protection. I never thought twice about integrating 1 boy with 8-10 girls. I just figured it wouldn't be much of an issue, one boy.

Sounds like the family will be eating chicken for a few weeks.
Unless I can figure something out in the next 24 hours..

 

[clintbwell]

If you've been feeding a decent ration you'll be able to cull the RIR cockerels at around 12 weeks. I would simply house them all together for the next 4-6 weeks and then process them. But that is what I would do.

Oh I have, they eat like crazy all day long and are 1 and a half times the size of my EE girls. They have been on first bag 24% starter, and second bag 20% starter. I just picked up a bag of 20% grower today, as we are almost out.

The housing issue, I'm afraid the 4 boys will beat up on my 8 girls, since they have been brooded in separate brooders. I guess i could try, but those boys are mean, they fight each other in their brooder, and they have bitten me twice. I figured if i throw them all in one coop, it's gonna be a battle royale in there.

 

[Little23]

I'm not a professional, however I have raised numerous of each sex together at different times and haven't had any issues until they reach about 18-20 weeks

 

[clintbwell]

I'm not a professional, however I have raised numerous of each sex together at different times and haven't had any issues until they reach about 18-20 weeks

Thanks, I may stick them in there together and watch them for a few hours, see how it goes. If it works great! It'll give me a little time to build a bachelor pad for the male i decide to keep. If it doesn't I will have to go ahead and dispatch them at 8 weeks old, because they can't stay in the house any longer, and there is nowhere else for them to go sadly.

 

[clintbwell]

Curious, If i have to cull all 4 of these boys. How would it work if i waited until my hens are 20 weeks old, then brood another rooster , and at 8 weeks introduce him to the hens, essentially the girls being dominant over him, untill he grows up, what kind of rooster attitude/personality would that make for when he matures?

 

[Little23]

I currently have 1 rooster with 6 hens that are 6 weeks old in a separator and no issues

 

[Mrs. K]

Well you can do that, without a doubt, as Ridgerunner is fond of saying, they are animals and no one can say for sure what will happen. You certainly can try it any way you want.

In my experience, your roosters are already a bit older than your pullets, and acting aggressively, I think that will get worse, and if you put them with your pullets, it will be more than likely very hard on your pullets.

As for waiting 20 weeks and getting a new rooster chick and letting the hens raise him so to speak, they will make his life hell. And can be quite tough.

In my advice, I would want an older rooster with my pullets. A mature rooster is a joy to have with hens, it is just getting them to that stage that is the trick. Right now, I have a boy that was 6 months old raised in a multi-generational flock, and he has had a tough time sweet talking the ladies into following him. He is doing better now. They didn't let him roost with them for 3 weeks.

But what I would strongly recommend, is ask at the feed store, or the county extension office or a local poultry club, for my pullets, I like a rooster that is a bit older, a bit more in command and a bit more calmer.

I am picky about a rooster. He has to be handsome, he has to have good conformation, he needs to be alert, he should be the first one to see me, but not aggressive towards me. He should convince his ladies that he is the eye candy. It is very hard for a young rooster to get to this point. Last week, I nearly invited my new boy to supper. We will see.

Roosters are a crap shoot.

Mrs K