Greetings everyone

[elxiliath]

Hello, my name is Michael and I am a first-time chicken owner. I've already found so much useful info on this site and look forward to learning more and sharing what I learn. I'd also be interested to meet fellow chicken owners around my area. I currently own 17 chickens and I'll be picking up 4 more next week. Though I'm not sure how I will handle our large count of roosters.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi, Michael, welcome to BYC! What breed(s) are the chickens you have now and what are you going to be adding?

 

[elxiliath]

Two male -Silver Phoenix
Two Silkie hens
Two speckled Sussex, one rooster, one hen
One male - Black copper morran
3 more hens that I can't remember and 7 more roosters, one young.
I'm planning to add 4 more silkies, hopefully all hens.

 

[elxiliath]

Here's a photo of some of them from the 10th.

 

[backyardflock1]

Great to have you with us! Some good breeds you chose. There are many friendly and knowledgable here- so don't hesitate to ask any questions

 

[Wyandottes7]

Hi Michael and welcome to our flock!

So glad you could join BYC! Sounds like you have a lovely flock. Phoenix, Silkies, and Marans are such beautiful birds! I hope the new birds integrate well into your current flock. If you want to chat with other Kansas people, check out the Kansas thread: Consolidated Kansas They'll be happy to chat with you about chickens!

I hope BYC continues to be a wonderful resource for you! Good luck with your chickens.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to the Backyard chickens flock. OM how did you end up with so many males? Some folks have to end up eating them because no one wants them. I do want to warn you about silkies. They are one of the most difficult breeds to sex. Breeders generally do not sex them before 4-5 mos. of age, and sometimes can't make a final judgment till they crow or lay eggs. The point being - if you buy young chicks, you run a very good risk of having males when you want pullets.

If you put "Silkie thread," in the search box it should pop up, and you can post your silkie questions directly to them.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC, Michael. Glad you decided join our flock. My name is Michael as well. You definitely need to remove some roosters from your flock. The recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens. As they mature, too many roosters will become very hard physically on your hens; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. The only reason you really need a rooster is to fertilize eggs for hatching, and 1 rooster can easily handle 10-15 hens in this regard. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.

 

[elxiliath]

Drumstick Diva, I have so many males because the first 10 I bought as in-sexes chicks which yielded me what I count as 3 males so far. The other 7 males are in a separate coop together alone, I got them at an auction recently for very cheap. I don't plan to keep the new older roosters with the rest of the flock and plan to separate the two additional males from the flock when it is necessary. The young chicks are all about 8 weeks old now.