Correct ratio (if it exists) for Hens to Roos

[ILoveBabySilkies]

OK, once again I'm showing my ignorance. Where can I find a picture of a saddle and how it works. I guess somewhere on BYC, right?

For a picture you could always search up “hen saddle” or “chicken saddle” online. I’m sure you could find videos on how it works or something on here about how it works also.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Well if you have the Roos free range together there will be a dominant roo. While the hens are in the dominant Roos sight of any Roos below him try to mate with them he will attack the opposing roo trying to mate. If you mix the Roos together with the appropriate amount of hens there shouldn’t really be any problems. If you keep the Roos separate and give them their own hens they will have their own girls.

Very interesting. Keeping them separate in different coops or runs or all the time? Do they mate and have these fights at night when they're all in the same coop?

 

[CrazyTownChick]

If you have pics we could probably tell you their gender? 8 weeks is almost the perfect age to guess gender.

Thanks! I am getting ready to post pics, gathering pics of their backs, tails, combs, wattles, faces, and getting them organized. I was thinking of doing it in the "What Gender is this chicken thread"? Or should I just post them here? It will take me a while to get them all lined up, the pics I mean. 13 chickens.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

For a picture you could always search up “hen saddle” or “chicken saddle” online. I’m sure you could find videos on how it works or something on here about how it works also.

Yep, thanks!

 

[RW1984]

Good to know! This is the question of a newby...so do all 7 Roos know who "their particular hens are"? Do they have "their own girls," or do they all share all? Do you keep a roo separate with the hens he mates with? Or they're all mixed in, so one hen may get overused by the roos and others may not get used at all?

Right now they are all living together. Sometimes one hen gets mounted and when the roo finishes another will hop on. I’ve seen one roo pull another off her and hop on or just walk away after pulling a roo off. I’ve also seen a few diff hens get mounted by one roo during the course of the day.
It’s odd, but they have their own rules and pecking order.
I haven’t noticed any problems that concern me and I’m out there every day a few times spending time with them and tilling the ground into dirt piles for them to pick apart. If I notice an issue or some overuse of a bird, I will remove the offender rather quickly and use him for other purposes.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Right now they are all living together. Sometimes one hen gets mounted and when the roo finishes another will hop on. I’ve seen one roo pull another off her and hop on or just walk away after pulling a roo off. I’ve also seen a few diff hens get mounted by one roo during the course of the day.
It’s odd, but they have their own rules and pecking order.
I haven’t noticed any problems that concern me and I’m out there every day a few times spending time with them and tilling the ground into dirt piles for them to pick apart. If I notice an issue or some overuse of a bird, I will remove the offender rather quickly and use him for other purposes.

Sounds like a system that works well for you. I'm sure we'll get ours into a system once they start settling their pecking order and deciding who's at the top.

 

[ILoveBabySilkies]

Thanks! I am getting ready to post pics, gathering pics of their backs, tails, combs, wattles, faces, and getting them organized. I was thinking of doing it in the "What Gender is this chicken thread"? Or should I just post them here? It will take me a while to get them all lined up, the pics I mean. 13 chickens.

You could do both since I would like to see them and have a guess.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

You could do both since I would like to see them and have a guess.

OK, I'm going to have to send the pics to my new laptop, which I am just setting up today. Pics are on my phone. I don't have anything on the laptop yet, will have to move some pics over. So by tomorrow I'll post some. I'd love to have your thoughts and input on my "girls/boys/flock". By tomorrow for sure. I have the app on my phone, maybe I'll try it from there, but it's much harder to see what I'm doing on my silly phone.

 

[ILoveBabySilkies]

OK, I'm going to have to send the pics to my new laptop, which I am just setting up today. Pics are on my phone. I don't have anything on the laptop yet, will have to move some pics over. So by tomorrow I'll post some. I'd love to have your thoughts and input on my "girls/boys/flock". By tomorrow for sure. I have the app on my phone, maybe I'll try it from there, but it's much harder to see what I'm doing on my silly phone.

Sounds good! Take your time, I’m hoping others can chime in too so that you have a better chance of having accurate guesses instead of just mine. Once you post the pics I’ll give my opinion and also tag some people that I know are pretty good with guessing genders!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Sounds good! Take your time, I’m hoping others can chime in too so that you have a better chance of having accurate guesses instead of just mine. Once you post the pics I’ll give my opinion and also tag some people that I know are pretty good with guessing genders!

Awesome, thanks!