Hen to Rooster Ratios

[MeganFair]

Hi! My family and I recently got chicks, and I was wondering about the ratio of hens to roosters. We got ten chicks, and I expect to be culling several of them, but I was wondering how many hens should you keep for each rooster? My experience thus far has been exclusively ducks, so are roosters going to be as demanding as drakes? Or is the minimum more to keep them from fighting?

Also, what should I look for to determine whether or not a rooster is going to be overly aggressive? I have three children under the age of ten, so I am especially concerned about keeping a gentle rooster.

 

[Alexandra33]

Typically, you will be told 1 rooster per 10 hens. However, I find it depends more on temperament than quantity. No matter how many females one provides a rough, hen-aggressive roo with, he will still manage to tear them apart. I currently have 7 boys in my flock (7 more growing indoors ), which happens to be well above the suggested ratio, and no resulting problems. Their ladies' plumage is flawless. I've accomplished this by culling any and all brutal cockerels before issues arise. Bare, raw backs, excessive pursuit, and general stress aren't tolerated around here.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to predict whether or not a cockerel will become aggressive or not.....a lot of times, attitude hits unexpectedly. But, unlike I was told when I first started delving into the world of poultry, children and roosters can be compatible. Only difference? You'd do well to be slightly pickier, since you have little ones to think about.

~Alex

 

[MeganFair]

Thank you @Alexandra33! That helps me a lot! And thank you for telling me what to look for - I’m currently reading the Storey’s Guide, but as I discovered in my journey with ducks, there’s only so much the book can tell you. Exprience has been the best teacher.

 

[aart]

I’m currently reading the Storey’s Guide, but as I discovered in my journey with ducks, there’s only so much the book can tell you. Exprience has been the best teacher.

Boy, that's for sure!!

Are you aware that your drake(s) could injure your pullets/hens? Different anatomy.


The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.
It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.
Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc
It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.
Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

I currently have 7 boys in my flock , which happens to be well above the suggested ratio, and no resulting problems. Their ladies' plumage is flawless.

Wow!!.....how much space do they have?

 

[Mrs. K]

If you want roosters, I think the best way to get a nice rooster is a sharp knife. Don't keep anything mean, and don't dilly dally with the decision. People do have nice roosters, but you may not get one the first go around. If what you raise doesn't work, then ask around. People often keep a rooster that was just too nice to cull, and that is the bird you want.

 

[Spartan22]

I agree with @Alexandra33, the first rooster I kept was great with his 10 hens, he was gentle with them, good protector, he was verile and fertilized all of them without any damage to their feathers. He was a beautiful awesome rooster until he saw my wife and kids as intruders, temperament is a factor. Now I have kept another rooster on separate coop with 10 hens, he was awesome with people and a good protector but doing great damage to the feathers of the 3 of his favorite hens. I am thinking of sending him on tundra vacation but couldn’t make the quick decision since his only 8 months old. My other rooster in the main coop is aloof, protect his harem and yet calm and doesn’t damage any of the hens feathers, he’s 9 months old. Yea, temperament, factors surround the flock (Size of coop/run environment) and the purpose of your flock, matters on deciding on keeping numbers of hens/roo ratios.

 

[Alexandra33]

Thank you @Alexandra33! That helps me a lot! And thank you for telling me what to look for - I’m currently reading the Storey’s Guide, but as I discovered in my journey with ducks, there’s only so much the book can tell you. Exprience has been the best teacher.

You're more than welcome! Well said - experience teaches us more than any article or book ever can.

Wow!!.....how much space do they have?

I can't currently remember exact dimensions off the top of my head....but their coop is a an ancient milkhouse we converted to accommodate them. Lots of space.

~Alex

 

[Shadrach]

Hi! My family and I recently got chicks, and I was wondering about the ratio of hens to roosters. We got ten chicks, and I expect to be culling several of them, but I was wondering how many hens should you keep for each rooster? My experience thus far has been exclusively ducks, so are roosters going to be as demanding as drakes? Or is the minimum more to keep them from fighting?

Also, what should I look for to determine whether or not a rooster is going to be overly aggressive? I have three children under the age of ten, so I am especially concerned about keeping a gentle rooster.

Everything @aart has written.
There is no correct ratio unless you take the jungle fowl, the chickens ancestors as a base line. There it often 1:1 or 1:2.
Roosters have what are often described as favorites; it's usually two or three hens. This is not just because he likes those particular hens, it's because that is the number he can adequately take care of. He can mate with many more, but he can't do all the other stuff a rooster does with say 20 hens.
If you keep your flock contained, it won't matter much what the ratio is. He will still have his favorites but the other rooster duties that free range roosters with hens have don't apply.

 

[centrarchid]

I am running several configurations now. They range one to one sex ratio all the way up to 1 to 8 when one rooster per group. When the number of hens is close to 25 I have 3 roosters with that group and they are free-range. You get into trouble when multiple roosters are involved with smaller numbers of hens in containment.

OP, with your setup i suggest having only one rooster. You could keep another as a backup in a pen somewhere.

 

[MeganFair]

Are you aware that your drake(s) could injure your pullets/hens? Different anatomy.

See, I knew that ducks and geese would try to mate, but I didn’t realize my drakes would attempt it with chickens as well. I’ll be keeping an eye on Enterprise then.

@Mrs. K Thanks. Part of the reason we got chickens was to raise for meat, so throwing a few mean roosters on the table will not be a hard decision. Honestly, I never originally wanted chickens, but my family wanted them and well . . . I’m a sucker for cute. Plus, I know what you mean about finding an odd’n’ends rooster easily. I’ve already looked through the Buy/Sell/Trade forum, and I don’t think it would be any hardship to find a suitable couple of boys for my purposes.

@Spartan22, @centrarchid Thanks! I’ll keep all that in mind.

@Shadrach That’s good to know. My birds will be in a pen for most of the day, but I do plan to let them free range around the yard as well. I live near a river, so we have all the lovely predators that come with that. There are two resident hawks that I am quite sure will at some point make off with a duck or chicken.

By the way, does anyone have any experience with Easter Eggers? I know they’re technically hybrids and not a standardized breed, but is there anything that I should keep in mind with them in particular?