How many hens for one rooster?

[Nuttz]

Troy4 could I have the roo in a seperate pen then in the fall put them together for a month or so so I can get some fertil eggs or could he be with them in the 60sq ft encloser all year with them

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Roosters like men have favorite girl friends so I guess the homely hens are lonely on Saturday nights. Whether a hen is serviced by a rooster or not has no bearing on when or if she starts sitting, and sitting is no indication that she has been inseminated by a rooster.

If you want to sell hatching eggs and have repeat customers, 4 or 5 young, healthy, vigorous, same age, and romantically inclined roosters for every 20 or 25 hens is the hatching egg industry average. Too many roosters is as bad or worse than too few roosters. That said I once yard bred 40 something related by blood game hens to just one rooster (four years old no less) and got an 80% plus hatch rate. Of course any hen had to be laying in order for her to have a chance of laying a fertile egg and some hens weren't laying yet. Those hens who didn't lay automatically removed themselves from being included in the fertile egg percent category.

If you keep your rooster in a separate pen and put the same 4 - 6 hens in with him say every other day, your fertility rate should be fine. After being serviced a hen should lay fertile eggs for at least 5 days without calling on a rooster.

 

[troy4]

All year sounds fine.This way you may have a better chance.Roos may not mate a lot and in the fall or winter.

 

[Nuttz]

Ok would saddles for my girls be a good option

 

[troy4]

Well it depends on age.Youngsters dont have to long on a ADULTS/hens back.

 

[Nuttz]

I have 4 that are just over a year and the other 2 are like 8-10 months

 

[troy4]

Which 1 are you putting in there?

 

[brood mother]

Not sure this is the correct place for my questions but I thought a good place to start. I have several hens and about 5 Roos. Some were unknown when we got them. I has matured enough and has taken the role of head honcho. He crows throughout the day now. I love hearing it! He has also, from what I hve learned started to " play house" with my 4 hens that are mature and laying.

1. I have one hen not laying all if a sudden, all healthy and no signs what so ever of egg bound.

2. Could it b from stress of the new mating ritual?
3. If any of the hens eggs were fertilized how would I know?
4. All of a sudden now getting 4 eggs a day again but on is always smaller than others, what could this mean?
5. With my roo fertilizing eggs, what are my chances of a hen going broody?

Hope no stupid questions but new to the mature roo thing! But Mr. Sunshine, my buff roo sure seems to have things under control lol!

 

[Nuttz]

Troy what do u mean

 

[Nuttz]

Which 1 are you putting in there?

What do you mean