flock of 21 chickens--4 roosters!

[lupine]

Hi all, ive lurked here for awhile without making an account and i have seen how useful and informative this site is. However, this time i have an issue that i need to ask as opposed to learn from past posts. We have 5 turken hens, 4 easter eggers, 3 malays, and 5 saipan hens. We also have 1 turken roo and by a bad stroke of luck 3 saipan roos! Im fairly certain that at some point we will have to cull two of the roosters, but the main issue is picking which as they all have desirable characteristics. We have already decided to keep the turken roo so its down to the saipans. Saipan #1 is huge and could probably defend the flock well but doesnt look like a full on saipan. Saipan #2 looks EXACTLY like a full blooded saipan but is smaller by alot. Saipan #3 is really nice and even enjoys being picked up, petted, etc. So my question is to you all, which would you keep?

Thanks again in advance for your answers.

 

[ChickAficianado]

I would pick #3.

 

[lupine]

...it isnt that the other two are mean, theyre just a lil standoff ish. And we do have sort of a predator problem here, racoons, hawks, etc... we got the saipans in the 1st place bc we read they were resistant to predation... also for the longest time we thought the nice one was a female due to its coloration (more brown as opposed to the black with greenish tail) i know im probably making this more complicated but i want to be sure im making the right decision.

 

[jak2002003]

Why can't you keep them all? If you have a predator problem the extra roos will help protect the hens.

I have 4 roosters and 8 hens and many chicks. They all get on fine together.

Be aware that when you cull the other roosters, the remaining one is quite likely to change personality and behavior as he will have to be the BOSS and protect the flock. Often lower down the pecking order roosters are more friendly, but they will change if they get to be in charge.

 

[lupine]

So will the hens be ok and not get beaten up too badly with that many extra roos? The roos already squabble with each other a little but nothing major yet. Itd be nice to keep them all but just in case i have to cull two...how to make that call?

 

[lupine]

By the way these 21 chickens are housed in a dual coop with attached run. Each "house" is 6ft wide by 9ft long with a 12x9 run. Its on a hillside which makes hay hard to keep in one spot but hopefully thats enough room till next spring when we plan to free range them.

 

[jak2002003]

Just keep an eye on them. In my flock only the top rooster mates with the hens, and if he spots the other rooster trying to mate he will run over to them and break it up. Also the lower ranking rooster even gets bossed about by the hens, and if he tries to mate them they will turn and attack him!

If just depends of the individual roosters. If they all grow up together and free range most of the time there should be no problems.