Gettin eggs now and need rooster advice.

[OPIE]

YEEHAW!! Im up to 3 eggs a day now from my 10 Buff Orp. hens, one has figured out tolay in the box, the other on a bag, the third looks like she just lets it plop out wherever shes at, in the run, coop, anywhere. I never know where I will find her egg. I am at a point know where I feel I must cut back on my roosters. I have 4 roosters, hows the best way to figure out the dominant one?

Thanks

 

[debilorrah]

WOW, you have a lot of roos for 10 hens!!!! You probably only need one. I think I would just observe them and see who mates with them the most. The roos aren't fighting with each other???? I am suprised.

 

[frizzylizzy]

I have 4 roosters with 11 hens and they never fight. They do free range every day, all day, are put up at night, and I'm sure this makes a difference. They have their favorite hens and if one jumps on another ones' girl, it promptly gets knocked off and then there's a little dancing- no fighting. My hens are all in great condition with all their feathers still on their backs. There are 2 full sized roosters and 2 banties. I really think each situation is different and all roosters are different.

Elizabeth

 

[OPIE]

I want to cut it down to only 1 rooster as I realy dont feel I need 4. They dont fight each other, and all my hens look real good, all there feathers and everything. I cant let them free range as my 4 english mastiffs want to chomp on them, fun for the dogs, bad for the chickens! Also my wife has aquired a few cats and, well you know how they get along. Anyway I have been trying to watch and see who is the dominant rooster out there, but im not realy seeing anything different, I might just wind up going with the biggest one.

 

[patandchickens]

Why not wait til you start seeing problems among them - by then you may have developed more opinions on the subject, or the girls may have.

I am keeping both of my sussex cockerels at least til spring -- it is almost time to separate them, as Itchy has started gettin' his clock cleaned by Pants - but I notice that most of the pullets seem to MUCH prefer hanging around Pants. Possibly because he is more responsible overall and more generous about food, and a lot less inept and overfueled in the l'amour department. It is likely that Itchy will grow out of some of his crazed-teenager style of lovin', but I doubt he will ever be as "helpful" as Pants is.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[OPIE]

Well, I made the tuff decision yesterday and picked out the biggest and best looking rooster and the rest went into the cage for segrigation and processing. I now have 1 roo and 10 hens. Kinda felt bad processing these 3 roos as I had them from chicks, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Anyway. Thanks for all the info.

OP