How Many Hens per Rooster

[Egghead_Jr]

I've had one cock to six hens. Worked well. Some boys are harder on the girls than others so your mileage will vary.

 

[Michael Stegall]

A lot depends on the individual animals, but from what I've read/learned that ratio is playing with fire and kerosene.
Two roos to 11 hens is iffy, four is asking for fight club and a lot of barebacked hens...

Hello, I just got 3 pullets and 1 cockerel. I'm pretty sure they are Brahmas due to their extreme leg feathers, they may also be bantum I'm not sure. I was wondering if that was going to be a problem with only 3 hens and if they may be an overly aggressive breed. Thank you for any feedback.

 

[Shadrach]

I have White Leghorns and would like to hatch some eggs. How many hens can 1 rooster service effectively?

Are the chickens free range?
Do you want the rooster to take care of the hens, or just fertilise their eggs?
Are you going to keep them all together?

 

[PandaGirl]

Hey,
I know that this is an old thread but I was just curious, will a Buff Orpington rooster cover 18 hens? I will not actually need them all to be fertile but I will have 9 Buff hens and those will be the ones I would hatch, but I most likely not separate them so I will need them all to be fertile. Or should I buy two, but preferably I would stick with one. Thanks!

 

[MTR]

I have White Leghorns and would like to hatch some eggs. How many hens can 1 rooster service effectively?

For breeding I’d do 5-6. Just as a rooster in a flock 10.

 

[PandaGirl]

So, if I go two roosters would they fight with that many hens?

 

[aart]

will a Buff Orpington rooster cover 18 hens?

I had one male with that many hens and he got the job done.
Start checking your yolks when breaking eggs for eating, that will tell you if he's efficient.

So, if I go two roosters would they fight with that many hens?

No guarantees there.
What is your goal, to hatch out all eggs laid?

 

[PandaGirl]

Yeah, but I just figured out that I could put the rooster and the other buff hens in a different coop for a few week and then only incubate the eggs that come form those chickens, so I have solved my problem. Thank you guys!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I just put him down for unrelated reasons (several good meals out of him, so not a complete loss), but I had a young rooster, RUG (Rooster of Uncertain Genetics) who was covering 19 birds with near 95% efficiency. The last hatch of 12 eggs yielded 11 chicks and a late quit. The batch prior yielded 10, with one infertile, one late quit.

Age and health of the birds is a factor (all the hens were under one year), feed, environment. genetics all play a part.

One bird can cover a score of birds, but typical flock management will recommend something closer to a 1:10 ratio.