How many hens per roo?

[krcote]

I am thinking about giving my roo to a friend. She has about 15 hens and 1 roo already. Will 2 roos be too many for that amount of girls? Or will they be able to form their own groups?

 

[lyndatu]

Another roo wouldn't hurt. The hen-to-rooster ratio is 8-10 hens is to 1 rooster, but I believe another rooster will help satisfy the hens.

Good luck! And how great of you to give a friend a chicken!

 

[mmajw]

Older Roosters that have not been raised together usually will not get along. 2 Roosters with 15 hens is really too much. They should have 10 or so hens each.

 

[krcote]

Hmmm. He's a younger guy (6 mos?) and the other is older.

 

[mmajw]

Some may get along but I never have had any that would without being raised together. I have all of my Roosters in seperate pens right now because they would fight.
I have a 2 year old (my avatar) and a 5-6 month old Buff Orpington and a 4 month old Cochin and I cant even put the Cochin and Buff together and they are close in age, but they were not raised together from the start.

 

[krcote]

Doesn't look good for this roo! He is terrorizing the girls to the point of not laying. They don't want to go back in the coop at night and one wedges herself betweent the coop and fence so he will leave her alone. This is no way for my girls to live. Is this just a phase or will he be this way forever? I have even gotten more girls, but this only made it worse

 

[mmajw]

Do they all free range or have a run?

My Ameracuana free ranges while his ladies have a run. He comes back into the coop at night but he has his own special sleeping area away from the ladies. Maybe that would work best for you too.

 

[MayberrySaint]

I got rid of two of mine because the girls were going bald and that left me with a ratio of 1:30. I have randomly put eggs under four broodies this Summer and Fall and had a 50% hatch rate. However, the fertilization rate was 87%...therefore, I would not be too worried about spreading him around.

 

[MayberrySaint]

Just disregard my post...I misread your original question. I see you want to add a roo, not get rid of one.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
He is not terrorizing your hens. He has to find his way to the top of the flock. You did say he was a young roo and as such they don't have much manners when first in with the hens. The hens will eventually give in to him and return to normal behavior. When I add new hens to the roo's flocks they tend to hide up on the roosts where his big butt can't get to them. They do this for a few weeks even when they have been penned side by side and are familiar with the other roo and hens. It is normal chicken behavior.

As for giving him away, your friend doesn't have enough hens to keep 2 roos. A more mature roo will not tolerate his presence and will most likely try to kill him.

I would attribute non-egg laying to the weather turning cold and the shortened days, not the rooster.