How many Chickens can my Rooster handle.

[WaxiChickens]

We have 35 hens and about to get 10 more. They are all free range. We are also getting a new rooster to bring in fresh DNA.

Can 1 rooster cover 45 hens?

We incubate the eggs and try to brood naturally as well.

 

[sourland]

45 hens is a stretch. He will probably develop a group of favorites and not mate the others. Commercial breeders generally run one rooster to ten hens for high fertility.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

45 hens is a stretch. He will probably develop a group of favorites and not mate the others. Commercial breeders generally run one rooster to ten hens for high fertility.

@sourland
Do you think (if I end up getting one, hubby's coming around) 1 rooster can handle 19 or too many still??

 

[WaxiChickens]

We’re free ranging and all the hens housed in coops that are close together. So 2 roosters would probably fight. I may end up incubating a lot of unfertilized eggs.