Help! How many hens should I have?

[RaisingGentlemen]

We purchased 6 chicks this year (first year doing this) and as luck would have it, I think we've ended up with 3, if not 4 cockerels! I did not expect these odds haha so now I'm wondering how many hens we need per rooster so it doesn't get dangerous (if you know what I mean) for the hens. Also, does anyone know how soon we'd need more if we do. Thanks so much!

 

[MillersFarm]

Roosters can be brutal when it comes to breeding, I stick with 10 hens per rooster if you are keeping more than one rooster, If you plan on just keeping one then 6-8 hens should be fine, Depending on how active the rooster is.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

If you really wants nd can afford this many,I would say thirty.Unless you want to start a rooster flock and pen two roos up and keep two roosters in the flock,if not,you can roatate the males,that way you will only need twenty hens,or just fifteen.If you have some serious hormonal males,I suggest a few more.But even then stress mating can occur.But,you can always keep Seperate flocks,one cage for every rooster and hens eight or so hens.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I agree 10 per hens is a good number

 

[Golden Brahma 64]

10 hens per rooster
X3

 

[RaisingGentlemen]

Oh man, that's a bummer to hear! I love all my chickens! We definitely can't have more than ten and ten and is pushing it! Well, this is why I asked. Same thing for silkie chickens? I know for sure we have a buff Orpington cockerel and a white silkie cockerel.

 

[Golden Brahma 64]

Keep one cockerel and get 7 or 6 hens then

 

[MillersFarm]

Oh man, that's a bummer to hear! I love all my chickens! We definitely can't have more than ten and ten and is pushing it! Well, this is why I asked. Same thing for silkie chickens? I know for sure we have a buff Orpington cockerel and a white silkie cockerel.

Silkies are bantam and bantam roosters don't normally require as many hens, But I would still have at least 6 hens for 1 roo.

 

[lazy gardener]

Or get rid of all the cockerels. There is really no reason to keep even one cockerel unless you intend to hatch your replacement birds in the future. And if that is the case, then you need a solid exit plan for all the future cockerels you hatch. Just FYI, cockerels are very different in their behavior than roosters are. If you have more than one, they will gang up on your pullets and take turns holding them down, while the others take turns repeatedly breeding them while any other cockerels attack the pullet from the front. IMO, it is not humane to keep cockerels in the same pen with the pullets once they get their hormones.

For the back yard flock, I would never recommend keeping more than one rooster, unless you have a breeding plan which requires more roos to meet your genetic goals. Such breeding plans require multiple pens.

 

[RaisingGentlemen]

Thank y'all so much this is such great and needed info. So, the oldest is 2-1/2 months old. Sounds like I need to act fast in my plan. I wasn't intending on having any males but fell in love with them.