Can I keep roosters together and when one is needed, put it with hens?

[NinjaGamer2022]

In the future me and my family plan to breed chickens and sell they're eggs. I have several Bantums and plan too get more. I was wondering could I house my roos together and put one with my hens as needed? I want to breed several different breeds of chickens but I don't want to have 6-10+ hens per roo if possible. Thx,

 

[ChickiesforLIFE]

I’ve read quite often that you can keep Roos together safely if raised from infancy AND they are away from hens completely. No being able to see or hear them. Please note, I have never done this personally before, but have heard from friends and seen it online multiple times who say they’ve had success. Putting one roo with the hens sounds like a great idea for specific breeding . Again, I’m no expert, but I think it would work also anyone feel free t correct me if I’m saying something incorrect

 

[Folly's place]

It might work, or not. The issue would be reintroducing that one rooster back with the others, even if they all got along before.
Mary

 

[microchick]

I agree with @Folly's place and speak from experience. I keep multiple roosters and have a bachelor pen. Putting the roos together from the start, they develop a pecking order and yes, they do duke it out but are okay with it once they settle.

Adding a new rooster at that point or removing one to the main coop and returning it to the bachelor pen has never ended pretty for me.

I had separated a half bantam roo from the main coop as I had multiple roosters his size and didn't want them to gang up on the hens. He was with the bachelors for about a month. Tried to put him back with the main coop and he was immediately set upon by the roosters his size in the main coop. I had to pull him and put him back in with the bachelors and since he was only separated from them for a couple of hours, they were fine with him coming back.

But I have also tried to add roosters to the bachelor group and as long as they have plenty of space to get away from one another they are fine. But their pecking order is pretty brutal.

My best advice is if you have plenty of space your plan might work. But you won't have much luck if you keep them in a confined area. My roosters roost in our barn loft and have a huge yard and orchard to hang out in.

 

[ChickiesforLIFE]

It might work, or not. The issue would be reintroducing that one rooster back with the others, even if they all got along before.
Mary

I agree, I forgot that part. It’s important

 

[-Flash-]

It depends, some roosters don't mind being with another rooster and some do. Two of my roosters can't stand being near another rooster, and another two are best friends.

 

[raingarden]

You might have better luck keeping pairs and trios (with two hens). House your best rooster and hens from each variety together. The roosters do not always torture the hens, expecially if kept together since before the point of lay or off season. Just ignore the squaking as long as there is no physical damage. There will also be no doubt about who the parents are and you won't have to wonder if the hen still holds semen from a previous mate.

 

[Folly's place]

Agree. Here we have three or four roosters, all together with all the hens. For saving eggs, we separate breeding groups, each with their rooster, in our big coop with hardware cloth dividers. So different pens, but all still 'at home' and in sight of each other. After three weeks we can keep eggs to hatch, and then when there are enough eggs, everyone mingles again.
It's harder to do than when we only had two breeding groups, but possible. Other years the different groups would alternate free range time. This year everyone is inside 24/7, and we aren't going to raise chicks.
Mary