How many hens can I have without a rooster?

[D'Angelo N Va.]

In other words..as many as you want to have w/o a rooster.

 

[krobin04]

Hey- our roosters are quieter than our hens! Those poor men don't get a word in edge-wise!! We love our roosters. I am glad though to have read that we don't NEED them for eggs. We thought the hens had to at least be around one to lay. My brother lives in an area where he can have chickens with restrictions- he will be thrilled to know this!!!

 

[3chimama]

I have 8 without a rooster...

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Noop. Not any more than human ladies need men in order to ovulate. We just need 'em to have babies. Hens, same thing.

 

[Jeremy Parker]

Quote:
14 hens is great that will give you at least 7 eggs per day maybe more, all a family needs if not a little much!!

They are right you don't need a roo!! He would only get hen pecked anyways

Enjoy your flock!!

Blessings,
Jeremy

 

[elmo]

It is true, however, that a good rooster will settle disputes among his hens and prevent bullying. That's what mine did. I'm so sorry we had to rehome him (roosters aren't legal where we live).

Now we have one vindictive hen and only me to keep her in line ...and I can't stay out there all the time!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Fertile eggs aside, without a rooster you may find that one of the more dominant hens will take over the job of protecting the flock. This may not necessarily be the head hen. But this protector, will act the part of a rooster, in all ways including the crowing, though not as loud.

You may notice one that stays off to the side of the rest of the flock. If you watch her, she is watching for prey, she gives warning calls. She finds food and calls to the other hens. Don't feel sorry for her. She is doing the job as protector of the flock, someone in the flock has to protect it from predators, its instinct. She will also be the one to breakup fights, so it is usually a large hen. She will help the head hen keep her position if they like each other.

These things I noted with my flock of 23 before i got my rooster. I needed a rooster for fertile eggs and because we have a lot of hawks.

The dynamics of a flock of hens is always changing, that is what makes chicken keeping so interesting.

 

[Camille13]

Wow, thanks everyone for the fascinating info and advice!

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Cool...I was glad to read this, because this is my BA June Bug to a T (although she IS the head hen, and she doesn't crow...lol). I thought maybe it was just her, so I'm happy to hear that it's perfectly normal.

 

[robk0220]

Quote:
You haven't seen my kids. Every time we make eggs, i.e. for breakfast, it's a 2 dozen minimum... we have 20 hens that should start laying in mid to late august...