getting a rooster

[presley]

Hi, just needed some opinions. I just started with chickens back in June of this year. I have about 20 hens, only one laying so far. Had a bout with avian pox but all seems well now, has been several weeks since last symptoms. I have been wanting to get a rooster and was just waiting for weather to cool down, and to make sure all were healthy. We have a big barn, nice big coop, big pen/run,and plenty of room to build more fenced areas and coops if needed in order to separate breeds. I would like to have enough fresh eggs to sell, and maybe even eventually sell chicks. I have an assortment now, several buff orpingtons, rhode island reds, barred rocks, a couple of aracaunas. I also have a black cooper marans which was really sick a few weeks ago and I would be scared to breed her. I have a blue marans that did not get sick, she is beautiful and I would like her to have some chicks. I love my orpingtons too, and love all the other colors I see they come in. Do yall think it would be ok to get 2 roosters? Like an orpington and a marans? I have not located an orpinton yet but I do know of a breeder nearby who has some young cuckoo marans roosters for sale. And if I get one of those, should I go ahead and keep him separate from the other hens, or would it be ok to leave them together through the winter and wait till spring to try for biddies? Have also toyed with idea of getting a small incubator. Would also love some orpingtons in the blue or lavendar colors. I know I'm rambling on, yall see I'm new to this. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gritsar]

I think you would do fine with two roos to 20 hens, but alot depends on the individual roos. Some feel they have to fight to the death, others are quite content to have some of the hens to themselves and never fight. If they work out a (roo's) pecking order (which is seperate from the overall flock pecking order) early they do fine. Somebody has to be the alpha and somebody the beta.

I've had up to 2 mature roos and 3 cockerels before. The two roos rarely tangled, unless the younger roo forgot his place and tried to steal one of the alphas hens. I ended up rehoming the cockerels only because the three of them were suffering from terrible cases of testosterone poisoning.

Unless you are intending to get a day old chick for a rooster, I would strongly recommend quarantine. It would be a shame to expose your current flock to a devastating illness all for the sake of having a roo.

 

[presley]

moved post