different breeds

[rcporter5]

I am starting my flock over again and getting baby chicks, 5 different breeds and 1 roo. 14 total.
A few questions, will my 1 roo be ok, with the different breeds. (he will be with a easter egger and I am getting 3 hens)
I am thinking of adding another baby roo to this order (I plan to order 3 more hens to make it 17 hens and 2 roos).

if I wanted to do that, would the Roos be ok with different breeds if I had them all in the same run?

 

[junebuggena]

Roosters don't care about breed at all. He will happily breed them all. Cockerels that grow up in a flock tend to be tolerated by mature roosters, provided that there is ample space and hens for both. I've had up to 17 males of varying ages, ranging from 3 year old roosters to 5 week old chicks, in my flock at one time, with no issues at all.

 

[LaurEliz]

I have a cochin rooster that doesn't mind mating and managing several different breeds of hens. In the past I have had multiple roosters with no fighting whatsoever. They'll likely establish a pecking order and everything will fall into place, in my experience.

 

[aart]

Roosters don't care about breed at all. He will happily breed them all. Cockerels that grow up in a flock tend to be tolerated by mature roosters, provided that there is ample space and hens for both. I've had up to 17 males of varying ages, ranging from 3 year old roosters to 5 week old chicks, in my flock at one time, with no issues at all.

Just wanted to accentuate that part..

 

[Mrs. K]

If this is your first flock, I would recommend no roosters this year. Often times rooster chicks growing up in a flock-mate flock only, get bigger than the pullets quickly, become sexually mature earlier and can bully the smaller pullets to get their way.

If you really want a rooster this year, I would raise up the pullets, and when they begin to lay, look around your area for a rooster about a year old that was raised in a multi generational flock. Roosters raised this way, are not the biggest bird in the flock, and older birds thump some manners into them. People always have extra roosters, you want one that was so nice, that he didn't get culled.

One rooster will be enough for 17 hens. Advice on here by Ridgerunner is that one should have only enough roosters for your needs.

You are talking a fair size flock. SPACE is very important.

Mrs K