Cockerel / roosters

[gunslinger33]

I have 2 cockerels (10 months) with 6 pullets that are the same age. We have lost 2 pullets since we stared our flock.

One cockerel is defiantly dominant over the other. He will chase the sub around the yard , prevent him from eating (until he chooses to allow the sub to eat) and definitely won’t all him to breed. Neither cockerel show any aggression to us. In fact the dominant is the easiest to to pick up with little to no fuss.


We recently had some tornado damage to our coop / run. Since I am in the process of re-building should I divide the coop or add more hens to my flock?

Our coop is 8x10 with a 8x16 covered run and a 8x24 uncovered run.

Thanks for your help

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I would add more hens but also get rid of one of the roosters depending on your future chicken plans. If you are going to be breeding to a goal, you may want to keep the second rooster in case you lose one. There is no breeding program with no roosters.
I would add feed and water stations so the alpha can't keep the sub from nutrition.

 

[gunslinger33]

I did add addition feeding and watering containers within the run.

Yes unfortunately we have discussed getting rid of one of the boys. I would prefer to keep them both since they are both very in aggressive towards us.

They tend to be more harmonious with a smaller confined area. I see more chasing and dominant behavior if they are free ranging or in the large run.

The order and behavior is very dynamic. I see some breed specific behaviors from cockerel to cockerel. The dominant cockerel is an Orp with the sub being a Bielefelder. If the Orp roo mounts the Orp pullets there are no issues. If the Orp roo mounts a Biel the sub Biel cockerel will flare and “jump and run” knocking the dominant Orp cockerel from the Biel pullet. Then the chase is on. The Orp is much less athletic so he can’t catch the Biel.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you plan on hatching, I would make two separate housing/pen units. Otherwise you will hatch a lot of barnyard mixes rather than Orps and Biels.

 

[Skipper81]

The rooster to hen ratio is important if they are over breeding the hens which doesn’t sound like your having that issue I personally have 12 roosters and 20 hens in 1 coop and run living happily together so it can be done

 

[Shadrach]

I have 2 cockerels (10 months) with 6 pullets that are the same age. We have lost 2 pullets since we stared our flock.

One cockerel is defiantly dominant over the other. He will chase the sub around the yard , prevent him from eating (until he chooses to allow the sub to eat) and definitely won’t all him to breed. Neither cockerel show any aggression to us. In fact the dominant is the easiest to to pick up with little to no fuss.


We recently had some tornado damage to our coop / run. Since I am in the process of re-building should I divide the coop or add more hens to my flock?

Our coop is 8x10 with a 8x16 covered run and a 8x24 uncovered run.

Thanks for your help

I would do both.
Divide the housing and provide two separate entrances. Better still would be to have two entirely separate units.
Keep both roosters.
If you can manage a quarantine then get some more hens. Easier maybe, to let a broody pullet sit and hatch more chickens.

 

[gunslinger33]

Thank you all for the input

I do wonder about over breeding. What I thought was a moult due to age might be feather loss due to over breeding. I see a lot of feather loss on back area between wings on both breeds.

I don’t have any broody hens. I do have an incubator that I do t trust. I smoked 16 eggs a couple of weeks ago. Temp was good for 4 days then went from 100 to 109 for no reason.

I have the Roos for some protection and flock balance with the option to add to my flock as desired.

What are good hen to roo ratios? I’m sure it’s breed and individual dependent.

 

[Skipper81]

Chickens shouldn’t go through moult at 10 months that’s too early

 

[Skipper81]

Just remember incubating eggs means more roosters that’s what happened to me
It’s called chicken math lol

 

[Shadrach]

What are good hen to roo ratios? I’m sure it’s breed and individual dependent.

It depends on how you keep them.
Here, free range, good foraging, with multiple coops and broody chick production only in a closed flock (I think I've covered the important points ) 4 hens to one rooster works.
More hens per rooster and the junior roosters take hens fro the seniors, less, usually less than two hens, the roosters look to increase their harem.
More than 4 hens per rooster and I tend to find unaccompanied hens wandering around when looking for nest sites and food. Two or less hens and the fighting between roosters increases as they try to attract more hens.
Kept in coops and runs it probably doesn't matter; the rooster will still have his favorites and mate with those in preferences to the others. If a laying hen that isn't one of his favorites crouches for he he will mate with her.
If you keep a large flock, say 10 hens and two roosters and they will live together, then you will probably find you end up with a senior rooster and what some call a satellite rooster that will mate with those hens he can entice away from the flock in order not to get attacked by the senior rooster.
In general, the behavior of the flock will depend on their housing and other keeping arrangements.