Didn't Get My Roos?? What should I do?

[donrae]

If you go by the 1:10 you would need 5 roosters. But you don't need 5 rooster because you won't be hatching eggs out of all 48 hens. First what's the goal of the hatchings? Fun crosses, meat, eggs? Identify 8-10 hens that satisfy your goals. Build a breeding pen for them and toss them in there with one rooster. I would select him based on how he treats the hens he lives with, his breeding, his chicks, ....If you control the breeding, you have a better chance of ending up with nicer, better put together, higher quality birds. Why propagate a hen that lays a tiny off colored egg? Isn't it better to promote the ones that lay 5-6 eggs a week over the ones that only produce 4-5 is eggs are the goal? 8-10 hens will give you 48+ eggs a week to hatch. Are you going to incubate the eggs or let the hens hatch them? One batch of 48 chicks should give you at least 30 viable chicks, count on 15 roosters for the freezer and 15 replacement hens. You might have all the chicks you need in a month with just one rooster and 10 hens.

I would probably go with 2 roosters. One BA and one "fun" rooster like an araucana or ameraucana and raise some EEs or whatever breed rooster is pleasing to you.. I wouldn't worry about them being raised together and would personally prefer roosters from different stock. If you want chicks May 1, you need to be setting eggs the first week of April. Give him 2-3 weeks with the hens before you start collecting eggs so that means he need to be ready to go into the pen with the hens middle of March. Minimum 2 week quarantine so that's the first of March when you need to have him.

I only see girls in your pictures.

Agree with this. Especially getting a EE or a buff Orpington, something like that. Australorps are great, but if you're selling chicks some folks will want variety also. An EE will give you pullets that will probably lay green eggs, and buff is one of the few colors that holds it's own against black, so you come out with gold and black birds.

Plus, having a breeding pen also means you have a grow out pen later. Once you've hatched what you want, disperse the breeder birds back to the main flock, now your breeding pen has a multitude of other uses!

 

[speckledhen]

Depends on the breed, how many males you need to keep them all fertile. My Delaware rooster kept 25 fertile in his prime. That's not unusual for that breed (at least in the true heritage lines). An Orpington couldn't do it, I'd bet. My Blue Orp, Suede, was a casual breeder.

 

[Littleblessings]

This is mine at 21 weeks. Are your 23 weekend laying? Not a single egg from her yet.

 

[rfreedlund]

Are your 23 weekend laying?

I got 26 eggs out of my mixed flock of 48 yesterday. With my 19 Australorps now being confirmed as all girls, I know some of them have to be laying. In fact I know some are because I have seen them in the nesting boxes and found eggs afterwards. Be patient. Eggs will come!

 

[lazy gardener]

I think you have been greatly blessed to get 5 extra pullets at roo prices. You are also blessed by not being in a great hurry, and having to "settle" on just any rooster. Who's to say that any roos you would have received would be breeder quality? You can take your time, and "interview them" for the job! Just be sure you have a place to quarantine your roo(s). It would be a shame to bring in a new bird or two and have some disease or parasite enter your flock. I agree that one BA, and perhaps one other breed, just for fun, might be a good way to go. But, If I didn't want the extra noise and rooster drama, I'd get just one boy, hopefully one who has been taught how to be a gentleman by some seasoned hens. My EE roo is fully up to the task of keeping all 15 of his girls in line, and all eggs are fertile. You can choose the best of the best pullets in the spring, and you'll have plenty of fertile eggs to start your replacement flock.

 

[nayeli]

You should quarantine for 1-2 months so I would start looking now. I'd get a black austo roo to go with your hens than another roo you like. I agree with the other poster, you don't need 5 roo's!
If you have a dog kennel then that would be fine for quarantine. Since your not adverse to eating roo's get more than you think you want so you have choices and eat the ones you decide you don't want to mate or turn out to be mean (to your or the hens).