Hens to Rooster Ratio?

[dbtcowgirl]

I'm curious what everyone's ideal number is for hens to roos. A number that gives you good fertility and a happy flock!

 

[donddon]

I think it depends on the rooster. Big Red, my avatar, a RIR, is a prolific breeder. I had just 5 hens. He nearly killed my silkie, and all my girls wound up with vests. He's since moved into a new coop with 12 RIR hens, and all's well there and here.

 

[Parront]

Sometimes 7-10 hens, 0 cockerels is the best way to go!

 

[dbtcowgirl]

Sometimes 7-10 hens, 0 cockerels is the best way to go!

That would probably hurt fertility rates lol

 

[dbtcowgirl]

I think it depends on the rooster. Big Red, my avatar, a RIR, is a prolific breeder. I had just 5 hens. He nearly killed my silkie, and all my girls wound up with vests. He's since moved into a new coop with 12 RIR hens, and all's well there and here.

Do you hatch eggs or just have layers?

 

[Parront]

That would probably hurt fertility rates lol

A good rooster should not over-breed the hens, but that is not an easy guy to find! Some people keep a trio, with 2 hens and 1 cock bird. I could not do that very well with my Brown Leghorns, I had to let them have the run of the yard to keep that cockerel busy. I had 3 hens and 1 rooster and wanted pure-bred white egg-laying brown leghorns. The Orpingtons were much more mellow, and I had 1 Orpington rooster in a mixed flock of about 15-20, depending on what time of year it was. He tolerated younger males very well, but the leghorn would pick on any other male. The leghorn hens would pick on the Orpington hens! So, 2 flocks happened. Roosters make things complicated, so sometimes the best number of roosters = 0!

 

[Mrs. K]

The least number of roosters is the easiest. I would not add a second rooster until I was pushing 25 -30 hens. I have kept a single rooster with a dozen laying hens and done pretty well with that.

Mrs K

 

[donddon]

Do you hatch eggs or just have layers?

I do hatch a couple times a year.

 

[aart]

I only keep one cock, always had good fertility on up to 20 females(all I have space for).
All hatched cockerels meet the freezer at about 14 weeks.

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 ....short term and/or long term.
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.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm curious what everyone's ideal number is for hens to roos. A number that gives you good fertility and a happy flock!

To me this depends on your goals, management techniques, and facilities (especially how much room). The personalities of the individual chickens, male and female, also play a part.

Dad kept one rooster with 25 to 30 free ranging hens. Practically every egg we put under a broody hen hatched so good fertility. My laying/breeding flock is one rooster and between 6 to 8 hens, but during the season I may have more cockerels than pullets (about 45 chicks total) that I'm growing to butcher age, about 23 weeks for the cockerels. Maybe every 3 or 4 years it gets rowdy enough that I separate some cockerels but most years it's not a problem. They have a lot of room.