Do I have too many roosters or can I just add hens?

[LindsayGlessner]

I haven't had chickens since I was in school but I have a fenced in yard out in the country so I decided to get some chickens for my yard. I bought them at Tractor Supply. They were all supposed to be the same breed but I ended up with 4 Barred Rocks, 3 Black Sex Links, and 1 Golden-laced Wyandotte. Of the 8, 4 of them are roosters. I really love all my birds but I am afraid this may be too many roosters. Am I better off rehoming 2 of my roosters or add more hens? I really hate to get rid of any but I do not want them hurting each other. They are just over 4 months old right now. I also have 2 silkies and 2 D'uccles. Once of the D'uccles is a rooster. These guys are still inside as they are still babies so I have not introduced them directly to my older birds but they do see each other through the fence. I just don't want anyone getting hurt! Please advise!

 

[HappyClucker7]

So in all you have have 5 roosters? With that many, you would have to have around 40 hens to keep the peace, (of course this isn't a set rule, and there are exceptions). So I think it would be best to only keep 1 or 2. If you want to keep more, you could build a separate coop for the D'Uccle rooster and his bantam hens, and then keep 2 of the LF roosters. Or, you could build a bachelor coop for all the boys.

 

[WallyG74]

Or, you could build a bachelor coop for all the boys.

Or as we called it, Fight Club. That’s what they did especially in the evening time. The little BCs always bullied the big RIRs. They were a fun bunch most of the time, but in the end, a rooster pen is just a feed bill to me. I raise them to 3 or 4 months and send them to auction.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Or as we called it, Fight Club. That’s what they did especially in the evening time. The little BCs always bullied the big RIRs. They were a fun bunch most of the time, but in the end, a rooster pen is just a feed bill to me. I raise them to 3 or 4 months and send them to auction.

BC boys are nuts. Mine is constantly trying to pick fights with my EE rooster through the fence.

 

[Mrs. K]

You have too many cockerels. Adding hens won't help. Older hens might do something for 1 cockerel, but not 5 of them. It depends on a lot of things like space, and how the space is set up. But in reality this is really most likely not going to work.

If you don't want one or more of them hurt, I would remove them from your flock. They do not call it cock fighting for nothing.

Flockmate cockerels often times become bullies, and become interested in the pullets long before they are ready. They often times will repeatedly mate your pullets. For the girls sakes, you really need a separate coop/run for the boys.

You would be better off rehoming all of your roosters. Let your hen flock grow up, get established and a true chicken society established. Then next year, raise up some chicks under the older bird, one of them being a cockerel. That tends to make the best roosters, but nothing is fool proof.

You will also need to be aware of how they are acting around you. If you have small children, I strongly recommend you re-home them, as they often attack children first.

I think you are headed to a pretty wicked wreck. Do have a dog crate and a fish net at hand and ready to go, if you have to separate them.

Chicken don't play by people's rules, and there is not a lot of ways to get around them.

Mrs K

 

[3KillerBs]

If these are your first chickens I suggest rehoming all the males as @Mrs. K suggests.

Roosters are always a gamble and hormonal cockerels can be a nightmare.

Pass on the boys and enjoy your hens while you learn.