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[Marshmallow1234]

So I have a hen and two roosters. We wanted a rooster and 2 hens but is it okay to have 1 hen and 2 roosters?

 

[bobbi-j]

I just realized that in your other thread asking for help because your rooster just started crowing, you said that you’re not legally allowed to keep roosters. That right there should answer your questions about keeping them or your pullet. Keeping not one, but two roosters where it’s illegal to have them jeopardizes not only your privilege to keep any chickens at all, but also that of everyone else in your community who has them.

 

[sourland]

No. Eventually the hen will be overmated/abused.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Overmated hens are stressed, subject to being driven away from food, injured and even killed by the males.

If you want to do what is in the birds best interest you need to understand we aren't saying anything to be mean. We are being realistic and speaking from experience when we warn you of the risks and offer solutions.

 

[21hens-incharge]

If you are limited to 3 birds I would say an all girl flock would be the wisest choice.

 

[Ebony Rose]

My vote would be all hens since you can still get eggs even without a male bird. Offsets the cost of feed.

 

[bobbi-j]

Seems to me after reading this whole thread that you’re not getting the answers that you want to hear. You need to do what you feel is best in your situation. If you can only have three chickens, then you need to decide whether you want to have all boys or all girls. And then act accordingly based on your decision. Very good advice given to you and I know it’s tough to part with pets, but you need to do what’s best for your birds as well. If you keep things as they are, it will likely not end well for one or more of your birds. Good luck in making the choice that you need to make. Wishing you the best in making this tough decision.

Agreed. No matter how many times or ways you ask, the answers from those with experience will be the same. This is not going to be a good situation for your pullet, and likely not for your cockerels. They will come to sexual maturity and be ready to mate before she is. They will spend most of every day chasing her, fighting to mate with her, knocking each other off of her to mate her, keeping her from eating, drinking, dust bathing and resting. She will be miserable, run ragged and could die. So who’s best interest do you have in mind here? That of your hen who will likely physically suffer, or yours? Yes, it’s hard to give up pets. For me, it’s even harder to watch them needlessly suffer. When we have pets, it’s our responsibility to give them the best quality of life possible. Even if that means that life is not with us.

Since you have already said your coop is not large enough to add more chickens (which isn’t always the best answer either and can cause more problems than it solves), I would recommend rehoming the boys and getting two more girls. Hens make better pets than cockerels anyway. An adult rooster will sometimes get human aggressive and that can be a dangerous situation. Especially if there are small kids who live at or visit your home.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, gad you joined.

Would a rooster and a hen work then?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Each chicken is an individual with its own personality. Each flock, however large or small, has its own dynamics. Sometimes it works out quite well, sometimes it is a disaster. There is only one way to find out in your situation.

What often happens is that immature pullets and cockerels going through puberty have a lot of problems. The hormones are going wild, they don't have much control. That is when you are most likely to see the worst behavior. Often, not always but often, when they become mature hens and roosters they calm down a lot. Getting through puberty is usually the hardest part.

Adding more girls doesn't really change this. You can have the same issues with 20 girls as with one. Trying to integrate during this time doesn't solve anything, it just means you have to deal with integration as well as the other issues if you have them. I personally like more girls though. Chickens are social animals and if you only have two and something happens to one then the other is lonely. If you have three or more then if something happens to one they still have a buddy. That's the reason I'd consider adding more, not because I was worried about how one hen and one rooster will behave. If I added any it would be a minimum of two new ones so they have a buddy to go through integration with.

 

[sourland]

Would a rooster and a hen work then?

A firm maybe. It all depends upon the breed, size, and temperament of the birds involved. What breed are your birds ?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks, I’m trying to see if my hen can get along because she sleeps with the roosters and follows them everywhere she seems happy with them

The roosters are young yet....i think I saw a thread you made where they are around 3 months old right now.

Things will get ugly when they start to mature.