Hen:rooster ratio

[Mrs. K]

You are just getting started, stay with your original plan. You have stars in your eyes from this offer, and so would I. However... voice of reason, nothing ruins this whole chicken experience like too many chickens in too small of space.

However, take 10 birds and a rooster, pick your favorite 4, and sell the rest? Or learn to process them.

I am a bit worried about the "I just bought a coop that would fit 4" Making me wonder if you have a prefab? Often times they are way too small.

Really the best advice would be to offer to pay for 2-3 birds, and don't take a rooster. Next year you can add a few more.

Mrs K

 

[ehoneybee]

You are just getting started, stay with your original plan. You have stars in your eyes from this offer, and so would I. However... voice of reason, nothing ruins this whole chicken experience like too many chickens in too small of space.

However, take 10 birds and a rooster, pick your favorite 4, and sell the rest? Or learn to process them.

I am a bit worried about the "I just bought a coop that would fit 4" Making me wonder if you have a prefab? Often times they are way too small.

Really the best advice would be to offer to pay for 2-3 birds, and don't take a rooster. Next year you can add a few more.

Mrs K

You're so right! I'm blindsided by finally getting chickens AND at this age (instead of Chicks or 6 week olds). I think I'm going to get 4 including the rooster and have him processed at the farm up the road if he's a menace. I know my neighbour wants chickens so I asked her but she can't convince her husband :/. 3 is good. I only wanted that many to begin with and we barely eat a dozen eggs a week would I think we're good. Of course, another part says, get a bigger coop, more chickens, keep the rooster, and give the eggs to the neighbours

 

[Mrs. K]

Think NEXT year...I will know what I am doing, I can use the little coop to raise chicks, be a bachelor pad..... The best thing is to start small, get that going, then get a bit more adventurous. I have been doing this hobby for 10 years, sporadically before that. It is a lot of fun. But don't plan to do it all at once, work into it.

 

[ehoneybee]

Honestly, every rooster is different, every flock is different. Some roo's are terribly rough and tear up the girls and some don't. Some are just sweethearts. Age can be a factor too, younger roo's tend to be a little rougher as their hormones surge. The 'math' is a guideline, not a set rule, you have to do what works in your flock. There are pluses and minuses to keeping roosters or not keeping them. If you take 4 or 5 birds from an established flock they are going to have to reset the pecking order in the new flock. You won't really know who's high or low until that happens and you won't know where they were in the other established flock. If you raise chicks, that happens gradually as they are all together from the beginning and it will be less 'dramatic'. It may go perfectly smoothly, but you will not know until you do it. If you think you want to have a rooster then take him and see how it goes. You can always remove him later if he's mean (I'd walk through his flock and pick up a hen or two and see how he reacts first - if he attacks you, then I would not take him. Period.). Also, IMHO pre-made coops usually are way too small for the amount of birds they say they will hold, enough space is very, very important and becomes more so with a rooster. Your hens need to have room to get away from him if they choose. Also having a roo comes with different possibilities and you need to be prepared for those. As previously said, it can be hard to re-home a roo, so you need to be prepared to do whatever needs to be done if you decide you don't want him or can't keep him. If you don't want a rooster or are not sure, then I would pass on it. Keep some hens for a while and see how you feel about it, or raise your own chicks, you can always add a rooster later if it's something you decide you want to do (if you add chicks periodically then odds are you will eventually get an 'accidental' roo). I have 23 in my flock right now, two roo's, everybody is very happy and gets along, but I'm very choosy about what roo's I keep. I kept hens for several years before I started keeping roo's in my flock. Now I can't imagine not having them.

I have the clubhouse coop from my pet chicken. We plan to free range them in about 1/4 acre of our property.

 

[Mrs. K]

I was afraid of that, a clubhouse coop. You really do not have a lot of room in that set up, and less chickens would be much better, 2 birds, maybe 3 if they are a smaller breed. No rooster would be best. There just is not enough room.

I did go to the website, and check this out. There is a markedly different measurement from inside to outside measurements. So I am assuming they are talking about the nests. Nests are not the issue, it is the space inside the coop.

People tend to think you can cheat on space if you free range, but in the dark days of winter they spend 14-16 hours roosted up. A lot of horrible chicken behaviors will develop.

Mrs K

 

[ehoneybee]

I was afraid of that, a clubhouse coop. You really do not have a lot of room in that set up, and less chickens would be much better, 2 birds, maybe 3 if they are a smaller breed. No rooster would be best. There just is not enough room.

I did go to the website, and check this out. There is a markedly different measurement from inside to outside measurements. So I am assuming they are talking about the nests. Nests are not the issue, it is the space inside the coop.

People tend to think you can cheat on space if you free range, but in the dark days of winter they spend 14-16 hours roosted up. A lot of horrible chicken behaviors will develop.

Mrs K

I got 3 hens and a rooster. They are all tame. The rooster is docile. We've been putting our hands in the coop to feed and water and he just sits back and waits for us to be done. We will probably figure something bigger out if the rooster works out.

 

[Sara Ranch]

I am happy you were able to decide and it's working for you!

Around here, my chickens do the match making. I have one cockerel with one girlfriend and he's happy with that. Another one has two girlfriends and he's happy with that.

I have hens that won't let a male chicken touch them.

I have hens that flirt endlessly with male chickens and encourage mating.

I have Roo Flocks (rooster flocks) that free range. They see girls. And if there appears to be a love connection, I put the two together and see how it goes. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

For everyone, it's different. You'll have to watch and see how it goes.

 

[coach723]

I was afraid of that, a clubhouse coop. You really do not have a lot of room in that set up, and less chickens would be much better, 2 birds, maybe 3 if they are a smaller breed. No rooster would be best. There just is not enough room.

I did go to the website, and check this out. There is a markedly different measurement from inside to outside measurements. So I am assuming they are talking about the nests. Nests are not the issue, it is the space inside the coop.

People tend to think you can cheat on space if you free range, but in the dark days of winter they spend 14-16 hours roosted up. A lot of horrible chicken behaviors will develop.

Mrs K

I have to agree with Mrs. K, it's just too small. If you go to the site they even say in the description that it is not intended for full time confinement, and that you need to provide a much bigger run. Actually if you read all the info provided they are fairly honest as to it's limitations. So I hope it works out for you and your birds, but i would definitely put an expanded run on the 'to-do' list soonest and keep watch for any signs of overcrowding behaviors or injuries.

 

[ehoneybee]

I have to agree with Mrs. K, it's just too small. If you go to the site they even say in the description that it is not intended for full time confinement, and that you need to provide a much bigger run. Actually if you read all the info provided they are fairly honest as to it's limitations. So I hope it works out for you and your birds, but i would definitely put an expanded run on the 'to-do' list soonest and keep watch for any signs of overcrowding behaviors or injuries.

Yes, will be watching them closely and plan to get them free ranging in a few days when they're acclimated. We will close off areas on our property and then add a bigger covered run they can use in snow/rain. Looks like we got a buff orpington, Aracana, and not sure what the smaller black one is (pic attached if anyone knows!) The rooster is very nice looking.

 

[ehoneybee]