Feel Like I'm Failing :-(

[JesseK]

Definitely find some DE. I had read about it on here...got some...and then one day there seemed to be a lot of flies, so I spinkled some out in the run and in the coop. BAM. Flies were gone immediately. I couldn't believe it!

You sound like you're being a very good chicken momma...your chicks are lucky to have you

 

[TexasMel]

If you are in love with the one roo, keep him

I think I'm going to! Do you think he will be okay in a pen by himself rather than with the hens?

Just keep in mind that with only 5 hens, he will probably really work them and make them look a little scrappy. Without a lot of females to spread his love they will be um...overworked? I think it's recommended to keep one rooster per 8-12 hens.

How much room do they have right now? Could you build a cheap and easy to move pen you can move around the yard? We used 2x2s, plastic poultry netting, a few screws and a nail gun and made moveable pens that look like triangular prisms.

Also, if you don't have a poop board that's a VERY easy way to keep it cleaner and make it easier/faster to clean.

I do the exact same thing! I research my brains out, but there's always a learning curve no matter the species . I'm currently researching dwarf goats!

If the chickens are happy and healthy, and you're having fun...you're doing it right

Oh I hadn't thought of the fact that we may not have enough hens for the one roo. Do you think I can keep the roo in the pen he's in and move the hens over to the new pen when we get it set up? Will he be okay by himself?

If we had a pen that kept them safe from the dogs, we have a half an acre I can move the pen around just fine. I will look into seeing if we can make a pen like you mentioned that we can move around the yard. That would be great.

Fun about the dwarf goats! We are thinking about goats ourselves at some point later this year or next year. I love dwarf goats but hubby is thinking a larger breed. So we'll see!

Thanks for the encouragement!

Definitely find some DE. I had read about it on here...got some...and then one day there seemed to be a lot of flies, so I spinkled some out in the run and in the coop. BAM. Flies were gone immediately. I couldn't believe it!

You sound like you're being a very good chicken momma...your chicks are lucky to have you

Oh awesome! I will definitely locate some this weekend. Thank you!

And thank you for our encouragement I appreciate it!

 

[leadwolf1]

I really get kind of confused when people say that you need 8 -10 hens per rooster when people keep chickens in breeding pairs and trios. If you can keep a rooster with one or two hens and they do fine, why do you need 8 -10 to keep everyone happy? I really believe that your one roo and your five girls would be just fine.

 

[williamsl77]

My 2 cents:

The number of hens per roo really depends on your roo. If he's a nice roo, he will be nice to his hens no matter how many there are. If he's a rough roo, he might be rough with his favorite hens, whether that's just two of them or 8-10 of them. I had a super nice roo (until he got eaten by a fox) that was very much a protector to his girls. I was very sad to lose him.

About the diarrhea... if it gets bloody or if your birds sit in a corner and get all puffed up, you will want to treat them for coccidia (antibiotics at feed store). That will need prompt treatment, so don't delay. You might want to feel their keel bones... are they especially sharp? Are you using medicated feed? Birds are most suseptible to coccidia at 4-8 weeks of age or in any period or transition or stress. Hot weather alone could be stressful. I would make sure they have lots of clean water and make sure their poop doesn't get bloody and they don't sit around puffed up.

Good luck!

 

[hokankai]

Feel free to hold onto him until his hormones kick in and he starts mating, and then you can make the call. He may change once that testosterone kicks in, just keep that in mind.

People do keep breeding pairs, but they usually rotate hens over a period of time as well, or replace birds in the trio. You'll just have to wait and see