Can you have a lot of roosters in one pen?

[kwhites634]

Well we were planning on going just roosters no girls. My dad wants to raise them to sell them to either 4H or local feed stores.

Roosters are pretty tough to sell, at least up here. Don't be surprised if you have to give them away or buy them a one-way ticket to freezer camp (which will probably be their ultimate destination even if you give then away).

 

[Trish1974]

Forgive me if I've missed this if its already been said... does the bachelor flock have to be out of sight of any hens to get along? Would it work to have a small bachelor flock running along the same fenceline (but still separated) with one rooster and his flock of hens?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Forgive me if I've missed this if its already been said... does the bachelor flock have to be out of sight of any hens to get along? Would it work to have a small bachelor flock running along the same fenceline (but still separated) with one rooster and his flock of hens?

When I do mine they are in sight of the rest of the flock, hens and pullets. It has not been a problem. Some years the head rooster with the flock and the lead cockerel in the bachelor pad can challenge each other through the fence, but most years that does not happen. Mine is cockerels that I'm growing to butcher age, not other adult roosters. Six months age max.

I expect this is just like practically everything else with chickens and behaviors. For some of us having the bachelor pad in sight of the females is not a problem, for some it will be. We are all unique.

 

[Alexander2000]

I don’t know if you knew this but it’s 1 rooster for 10 chicken’s.

 

[Trish1974]

I don’t know if you knew this but it’s 1 rooster for 10 chicken’s.

That can vary. Roosters vary so much in temperament and actions. I have one rooster with 6 hens - no problem. I think he would do just fine with only 3 of them if need be. His two full brothers are kept together with only 9 hens - and no one fights. Also, a lot of breeders keep breeding pairs and trios.

 

[Alexander2000]

Possible.

 

[cmom]

I hatch out around 200/300 chicks each year. I do have coops that I use as breeding coops and later as bachelor coops. As long as there are no females they are ok. One thing is if I take a male out of a bachelor coop I can't usually put him back because the other males will pick on him. I had a place where I cold take my extra males to sell. It was a couple of hour drive. Not very long ago I took around 100 males over to sell. They have since closed. Currently I have a lot of chicks and around half will be males. We do have several farm swaps in my area and I plan on taking a few males at a time when they are old enough. I do grow them out so I can pick out the best for breeding.

 

[aart]

Possible.

More than possible.

The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.

It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.

Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc

It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.

Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

 

[Alexander2000]

Well that good to know!!

 

[cmom]

Possible.