How many hens per roo?

[woolyworm]

I thought I was getting 4 hens, but one was a roo. Should I give him away now (I found a farm for him), or should I keep him and see how it works out? I am worried that it will be too much male for only four females. At 14 weeks old he is already aggressive towards the ladies. Any advice?

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Standard advise is 8 - 10 ladies per roo. If he's being hard on them at 14wo it's likely to only get worse as he matures.

If you have a farm for him to go too I would send him now.

 

[cwalsh2]

He should be fine. I used to single breed chickens with 1 hen and 1 rooster to a pen. I had about 40 pens like that, and the roosters were never too hard on the hens. The hens on the other hand often ate the feathers off the roosters necks. they were in a pen 4ftx7ftx8ft tall. The feather eating was worse when I had 4-5 hens with the rooster. My roosters were never hard on the hens. 1 rooster can keep a dozen hens laying fertile eggs though. I had games.