Can I Keep Roosters together?

[farmlady2021]

I bought 8 one day old (pullets) chicks from a feed store, I bought 3 aruacana who someone on here said they were Easter Eggers instead, 2 Olive Eggers, 3 Speckled Sussex. I am 98% sure I have 2 cockerels in the EE and one of my OE is a cockerel too, I think my 3 SS is hens but I don’t know about those at all. Can I keep my 3 cockerels together as they get older? I know roosters tend to fight with each other but I did not know if there was a way to keep them all! All 3 will be beautiful! I have added pictures of the 3 below, the black/white is a EE and the red/brown/back is a EE and the solid black is a OE and all are 7wks tomorrow!

 

[thanai]

I have a coop and run for 4 of my boys, separate from the rest of my flock. It works out pretty well! There's the odd fight to keep the pecking order straight, but as I say, it works out for me.

 

[farmlady2021]

I have a coop and run for 4 of my boys, separate from the rest of my flock. It works out pretty well! There's the odd fight to keep the pecking order straight, but as I say, it works out for me.

Do you mind me asking you why you keep them separate from the rest of your flock?

 

[thanai]

Do you mind me asking you why you keep them separate from the rest of your flock?

Not at all! I bought them as chicks, while they were too young to sex. Once I found out that they were all boys, I had too many roosters for my flock of hens, and so rather than rehome them, I built them their own place.

 

[Mamatomany123]

You can keep them together but will have to keep them seperate from your hens or get a ton more hens. They will at least over breed them and at most kill eachother because the other tried to breed his hen. 10 hens per rooster when keeping multiple roosters.

 

[farmlady2021]

Not at all! I bought them as chicks, while they were too young to sex. Once I found out that they were all boys, I had too many roosters for my flock of hens, and so rather than rehome them, I built them their own place.

Is there a specific ratio you need for having roosters and hens together?

 

[Brooks_]

Is there a specific ratio you need for having roosters and hens together?

10:1 is a good starting point. My boy still over mates his favorites at 12:1.

 

[farmlady2021]

You can keep them together but will have to keep them seperate from your hens or get a ton more hens. They will at least over breed them and at most kill eachother because the other tried to breed his hen. 10 hens per rooster when keeping multiple roosters.

Oh wow!!! I guess I’ll be getting rid of two of them then we do not need anymore than 10hens for our family! Thank you!

 

[farmlady2021]

10:1 is a good starting point. My boy still over mates his favorites at 12:1.

Wow!!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

You can keep them totally separate from the hens. Roosters that aren't with hens are way less likely to fight.

If you don't want to build a separate coop for your roosters, then there is no way to keep them. Three roosters will fight, and the hens will get overmated. Even one rooster with five hens can over mate them. Three would be awful for the hens.