Down To Two

[simplynewt]

I started the Chicken Adventure in October of last year. I purchased 5 pullets from a gentleman that said I was getting 5 hens (4 Doms and 1 RIR). I asked him how he could tell they were all hens. He said, "Ive been raising chickens for 30 years and Iknow how to tell a hen from a rooster." I left it at that.

When they started getting older, I could hear crowing coming from the coop prior to me letting them out for the day. I posted on here if it was possible for a hen to crow and I recieved alot of messages that it was in fact possible for a hen to crow so I thought nothing of it. Then one week I noticed all but one looked the same in regards to their comb and thought that the one that looked different was my suspected roo. After sending a coiuple pics to an associate at work who also raises chickens, I found out that I have 4 roos and 1 lone hen.

So now I am down to 1 roo and 1 hen. I affectionately names them Ralph and Alice.

I know roos are good for servicing 10 hens but will it be alright for me to have just them until at least the spring time? And when Spring comes, would it be alright to get just one hen at a time instead of the typical 5 that I got this last time and ended up with all roos?

Has this happened to anyone else here before?

 

[SteveBaz]

There are lots of commercial hatcheries and guarantee orders of sexed chicks and they say 90% chance of hens only for .50 cents. try;

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/main.sc
or
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html?aid=2008byf
or
http://www.idealpoultry.com/
or
http://www.mypetchicken.com/default.aspx?campaign=BYC200801
or
http://www.mthealthy.com/
or
http://www.Meyerhatchery.com

I have read from posters here on The BYC great success and other ways is to go to you local Urban Farm Supply that sell chicks that have week to 5 week old chickens that are already sexed for you. Don't give up there are a lot of alternatives to help you in you situation. Best of luck to you with Ralph and Alice.

 

[turtlebird]

If she goes broody in the spring, it might be kind of fun to sneak some little chickies (sexed-from the feed store or something) under her. Then SHE will raise them for you and your flock will grow!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

One hen and one roo is fine!

I have kept one roo/one hen together by themselves and it is wonderful to see how the roo dotes on his little woman. If he overbreeds her you can put a hen saddle on her. You might not have trouble with overbreeding at all especially since he is still maturing.

 

[ll]

I like the idea of sneaking chicks under her (do it at night after they've settled down)

good luck

 

[simplynewt]

Thanks Steve for the links and everyone for the comments. Ralph and Alice are doing fine ATM. Ralph is loving the fact that he is the opnly dude in the coop. He expresses it daily with his cockadoodledoing.