Hello from GA!

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gachickenchick

gachickenchick

In the Brooder
5 Years
Nov 10, 2014
17
2
26
Newbies from NE GA here! Mom, Dad and 6 y/o son. We purchased 8 chicks in July (straight run)....sadly we lost one when we moved them to the coop. She was the smallest and most timid and we believe she was smothered by the others. Anyway we have 3 Dominiques (2 roos 1 hen), 2 Rhode island reds (both roos the one we lost I believe was a hen) and 2 Welsumers (both hens). We have a coop and nice size covered run both made from reclaimed/recycled/reused materials!! We keep them in the run during weekdays and my hubby and son let them out when they get home from school each day at 3 and they can free range until dark. We have them trained and they will go to the coop and roost when it's time and we go out and lock them in for the night! We let them free range on the weekends all day since we are there! We still don't know what to do with all our roos. We are on the fence about keeping 1 of the Dominiques that is our fav. I might be interested in harvesting (right word?) the roos but hubby is not!!! LOL! I have been lurking on here quite some time and finally decided to join because I have questions! :)
 
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Welcome from Central Georgia! So glad you joined us.

Obviously you know you have too many roosters and have a difficult decision to deal with. But if you decide to keep all ,consider posting the issue under Managing Your Flock for experienced input from others.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Sorry about the bird you lost early on. The proper ratio of rooster to hen is 1 roo to 8 to 10 hens. Any more and they can over mate the hens, harming or injuring them, not to mention the rooster fights. So it would be in your best interest to "harvest" the extra roos. :)

But it sounds like you have a lovely flock! Dominiques are gorgeous birds! Make yourself at home here and if you have any questions along the way, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!
 
Welcome to BYC!! I actually built a small coop and run to keep my extra roos separate from my hens. They get along good as long as they can't see the hens. I keep my favorite roo in with my 10 hens. But I do harvest a roo from time to time.
 
Thank you everyone for the welcomes! We have been wondering what to do with the roosters. I know we can't keep them all, that would not be a good situation for the hens...yikes! My husband knows we can't keep all the roos but is not up for the harvesting idea...I on the other hand am willing to give it a go! I think that he has grown a little attached
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and it's funny because he was the one that wasn't so into the whole chicken thing to begin with! We have talked of keeping our favorite Dominique roo who my son calls "Dom". Would "Dom" + 3 hens be okay? We want more hens for the eggs. Should we let them mate and have more chicks and then see what we get and kind of have a sustainable flock? Not sure what to do and not sure where to post this question....
 
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. A lot of us were lurkers before joining. I would advise keeping 1 rooster with 3 hens. The recommended ratio is 1 rooster for every 10 hens as too many roosters (or too few a hens in your case) will become very hard on your hens physically as they mature; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. The only reason you even need a rooster at all is if you want fertilized eggs for hatching, and 1 rooster can easily handle 10 hens in this regard. You will either need to eat the extra roosters or else re-home them. You might try listing them on Craigslist, or checking with your local feed store to see if they know of anyone who wants a rooster. They might even have a bulletin board you can post an ad on. You might also check with your local 4h and see if any students would be interested in them. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in removing your extra roosters.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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We're glad to have you.


gachickenchick said:
Thank you everyone for the welcomes! We have been wondering what to do with the roosters. I know we can't keep them all, that would not be a good situation for the hens...yikes! My husband knows we can't keep all the roos but is not up for the harvesting idea...I on the other hand am willing to give it a go! I think that he has grown a little attached
love.gif
and it's funny because he was the one that wasn't so into the whole chicken thing to begin with! We have talked of keeping our favorite Dominique roo who my son calls "Dom". Would "Dom" + 3 hens be okay? We want more hens for the eggs. Should we let them mate and have more chicks and then see what we get and kind of have a sustainable flock? Not sure what to do and not sure where to post this question....
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It all depends on the rooster. Some roosters will be fine with fewer hens. Other times, the hens become overmated and become ragged, with a lot of feather loss. You could try, but if all you really want is eggs, I wouldn't keep a rooster. The hens will be much happier. Alternatively, you could get five more hens. Then, you'd probably be fine, even with a rooster.
 
welcome-byc.gif
Glad you joined us!

1 rooster is too much for 3 hens in most cases, so if you want to keep "Dom," I would purchase some more hens.
 
Michael OShay said:
Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. A lot of us were lurkers before joining. I would advise keeping 1 rooster with 3 hens. The recommended ratio is 1 rooster for every 10 hens as too many roosters (or too few a hens in your case) will become very hard on your hens physically as they mature; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. The only reason you even need a rooster at all is if you want fertilized eggs for hatching, and 1 rooster can easily handle 10 hens in this regard. You will either need to eat the extra roosters or else re-home them. You might try listing them on Craigslist, or checking with your local feed store to see if they know of anyone who wants a rooster. They might even have a bulletin board you can post an ad on. You might also check with your local 4h and see if any students would be interested in them. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in removing your extra roosters.
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Thank you for the tips for re-homing these roosters Michael!
 

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