black roosters

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gracie58

gracie58

Chirping
8 Years
Apr 11, 2014
54
3
99
hi i am new here, i have 3 black roosters and 11 hens i was wondering if it normal for the roosters to attack the hens they are only 17 weeks old, is there anything i can do to stop them before they kill the hens thank you
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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You need to keep the adult roosters away from the pullets until they are grown and more mature. The proper ratio for roosters to hens is 1 rooster to 10 hens. So you will need to remove two of these roosters.
 
gracie58 said:
hi i am new here, i have 3 black roosters and 11 hens i was wondering if it normal for the roosters to attack the hens they are only 17 weeks old, is there anything i can do to stop them before they kill the hens thank you
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Hi and welcome to BYC. I think what you are seeing as "attacks" is mating behavior - which when they are first figuring it out can be a bit rough, clumsy and not at all romantic - especially since the boys seem to become interested in it before the girls. They are very much at the age where this is "normal" behavior.
That being said, with three roosters and 11 hens you have a fairly significant imbalance in your flock and the girls are going to bear the brunt of that in a very unpleasant way. You will either need to house your roos separately in a "bachelor pad" arrangement, increase the number of females or decrease the number of males. Failing to take one of these steps will result in hens who are harassed and overmated to the point that you will see an impact in their health and their productivity (stressed hens don't lay) - and also possibly roosters who are injured in the battle for the too few females to go around.
 
gracie58 said:
hi i am new here, i have 3 black roosters and 11 hens i was wondering if it normal for the roosters to attack the hens they are only 17 weeks old, is there anything i can do to stop them before they kill the hens thank you
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Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. The recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens as more roosters than the 10 to 1 ratio can be very hard on your hens physically; over-breeding them, injuring them with their beaks and spurs, and battering them. I currently have 25 hens, no roosters, and I get loads of eggs without feeding any non-egg laying mouths, without the aggression, fights, crowing in the middle of the night, injuries, and over-bred and battered hens that frequently goes along with having roosters (especially too many of them). You need to either get rid of two of those roosters, or else get rid of the most aggressive one and add some more hens to your flock. Please feel free to ask if you have any more questions. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
 
i dont know what to do with the roosters, i dont have the heart to kill them and i dont have anyone to give them to, what if i keep the roosters in the chicken coop, how long would i have to keep them in there? i heard that black roosters are the meanest around is that true? they are all black even their feet, i also have a male and female little fluffy ones with feathers on their feet
 
gracie58 said:
i dont know what to do with the roosters, i dont have the heart to kill them and i dont have anyone to give them to, what if i keep the roosters in the chicken coop, how long would i have to keep them in there? i heard that black roosters are the meanest around is that true? they are all black even their feet, i also have a male and female little fluffy ones with feathers on their feet
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X2 on Mountain Peeps. The color has nothing to do with a rooster's disposition. As far as what to do with them, you could ask at your local feed store if anyone might want a free rooster. Perhaps they might have a bulletin board which you could advertise them on. Or you might check with the local 4h club and see if anyone there is interested, or list them on Craig's List. Good luck with your roosters.
 
The best thing to do is physically separate the males from the hens - before they end up overbreeding and killing your girls.

Which is worse, getting rid of the roosters, or having them end up killing your hens? They aren't going to out grow this behavior and as roosters get older they are very likely to kill each other in displays of dominance.

We can decide for you, it's a decision you have to make and take responsibility for.
 

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