Help please....I'm new to chickens and have questions!

[MuddyChicken]

You can have two but usually you only need one rooster to keep the hens from fighting. And to fertile the eggs if you want to hatch them. Plus you don't want the roos fighting cause they could possibly hurt each other.

 

[mjlabs]

Thanks for all the comments, this is a great forum. Since I mainly want to crank out eggs and not into fancy/rare breeds I have decided to go with the Rhode Islands and Barred Rocks mainly with a few Australorps and/or Golden Buffs with one rooster either BR or RIR. I figure if any become aggressive towards the kids then they go to the fryin' pan! So we'll see how this flock does this year....

Thanks again for all the info, I enjoy learning about chickens

 

[darin367]

with 15 hens you need 2 roos,, they will decide who's gonna be the boss and who is gonna be his back up...... i've got 2 roos and 14 hens, not all of my eggs are fertile.... they scuffle now n then but then roost together at night... they are barred rock and the kids, 7 n 3 never have a problem with em......

 

[suzeqf]

I have 3 red star hens that are great layers and friendly and I have a turken who is an awesome layer and a very sociable girl and very hardy I'm going to get a few more this spring and I have my Lav Orp Roo's who are gentle giants.

I would have 2 roo's I have 22 chickens and 10 roo's and 12 hens reg and banty

The breed I wouldn't get again is the Blue Andaulsian they can be a bit aggressive that's why I got rid of the 2 I had

 

[mikeinri]

Why do you need a rooster? Unless you like hearing it at 2 am. My 12 hens get along fine with no rooster. I have production birds that give me on average 11 eggs a day. Your hardest question is with 15 hens what you will do with the eggs. I donate them. I plan on going big next spring. If you have enough space for them and handle them often they will be fine with people and each other.

 

[polishchickens111]

Quote:
Hatching some eggs, maybe.

 

[mikeinri]

Quote:
Hatching some eggs, maybe.

Yes but he didn't mention hatching

I want to hatch my own this spring but have to get a second coop back away from the other houses...and mine!!...lol
Then I'll get a big Ed and Rocky

 

[mjlabs]

yep......will need a roo for hatchin...........

 

[Ole rooster]

Of the ones you mentioned, one that is close to what to what you said that is a very good layer with a larger egg that the Pro red is the Black sexlink. She and my EE are the two best layers with the largest eggs of my 7. My red is a good layer but a tad smaller egg than the black. She and the EE started laying first and are consistant. Ive found the black lays a tan egg where the red a smaller light brown one. The Wyandotte has quit. I haven't seen an egg from her in 2 months. Last summer when she was laying, she had a very nice deeper brown egg.

The next ones I intend to try is the NH Red and the Marans. But I do like the black and the EE'ers.