Hen / rooster ratio

[donrae]

Another aspect of hatching chicks--okay, you're going to butcher your roosters. Do you have space to grow them out? That's something we see folks run into here a lot---chicks hit 8-10 weeks and it's "Oh no, they're getting big and I don't have enough room to house them until they're old enough to butcher!". Just sayin'.

Even with 12 hens, you're good with only one rooster.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Another aspect of hatching chicks--okay, you're going to butcher your roosters. Do you have space to grow them out? That's something we see folks run into here a lot---chicks hit 8-10 weeks and it's "Oh no, they're getting big and I don't have enough room to house them until they're old enough to butcher!". Just sayin'.

Even with 12 hens, you're good with only one rooster.

The space thing is especially important since you'll want to get your male chicks on a high-protein grower ration as soon as you can tell what sex they are, so you'll need two grow-out pens with different rations.

OP, we're not trying to say that you, personally, are unprepared. We just want to make sure you've thought everything through, since not everyone does.

 

[alibraun]

hello, I am looking into adding to my flock next year and that roo pic u posted is gorgeous!! how can I save it help!! I have a mixed flock of 12 now.

 

[Bullitt]

hello, I am looking into adding to my flock next year and that roo pic u posted is gorgeous!! how can I save it help!! I have a mixed flock of 12 now.

Put your cursor on the picture. Right click. Click Copy. And then go to your computer's picture file. Right click. Paste it.

You can also go to Google and type in Welsummer rooster picture to get many more pictures.

 

[Bullitt]

The space thing is especially important since you'll want to get your male chicks on a high-protein grower ration as soon as you can tell what sex they are, so you'll need two grow-out pens with different rations.

OP, we're not trying to say that you, personally, are unprepared. We just want to make sure you've thought everything through, since not everyone does.

What if someone is free ranging their flock during the day? It would be difficult to separate them.

When chickens are living naturally they are all eating the same thing. Why should pullets and cockerels be fed different food?

Or is a high-protein diet for the cockerels just good when you plan to use them for meat birds?

 

[poultrylubber]

I have 1 roo to 13 hens. I think that is a little to many for him because he isn't a very.... shall we say "aggressive" it that area. He has about 4 hens that he regularly breeds and then he doesn't touch the others. But he is still really young (march chick) so I hope he start doing his job once he is older.

 

[Bullitt]

I have 1 roo to 13 hens. I think that is a little to many for him because he isn't a very.... shall we say "aggressive" it that area. He has about 4 hens that he regularly breeds and then he doesn't touch the others. But he is still really young (march chick) so I hope he start doing his job once he is older.

What breed is your rooster?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i have one polish rooster to three hens and he will only mate with one. he is two yrs. old. i did find this out the hard way as i collected the eggs from one and let the other one sit herself as she had gone broody. i got one baby out of the brooder and none from the broody hen. when i looked i saw no signs of fertility. and i have since seen no mating with the other two. so everyone has a different reason to decide how many hens to a roo. as i said before, it depends on the roo.

 

[poultrylubber]

What breed is your rooster?

He is a 7 month old EE

 

[poultrylubber]

i have one polish rooster to three hens and he will only mate with one. he is two yrs. old. i did find this out the hard way as i collected the eggs from one and let the other one sit herself as she had gone broody. i got one baby out of the brooder and none from the broody hen. when i looked i saw no signs of fertility. and i have since seen no mating with the other two. so everyone has a different reason to decide how many hens to a roo. as i said before, it depends on the roo.

Just a thought, infertility with Polish can be because of the topknot. Does it go in front of his eyes? I read that this can cause a drop in fertility and that cutting the feathers so he can see better helps.