How many Roos should I order to look after 12 Hens ?

[TexasJoe]

I second the plastic owls

 

[johnmayersquare]

I just love our Buff Roo......He is just now 20 weeks and is absolutely stunning to look at.....He is very sweet with both my kids and the girls. I have 20 chickens all between the ages of 20-24 weeks and just the one Buff Roo and all seems fine! Good Luck!

 

[KrisRose]

Hi Joe. Good to see you back.
I prefer a higher ratio of hens to roos, at least 15 hens to a roo. The best set up would be to raise up some hens and then add a younger roo. Roos mature faster then the girls and then they start pestering the young pullets.
As for protection my mixed roo is much better then my purebred. Neither dares to flog me, they have leaned better. Chickflick's roo will never learn, very agressive but also very good with the hens. I would try one to see how it works out and if its not what you want then just replace him.
I might try some of those plastic owls myself.

 

[Chickenaddict]

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I vote for the golden laced wyandotte. They are awesome protectors and very beautiful. The one i had was extremely friendly and seemed to sense a hawk flying around from about a block away. Tons of hawks and eagles around here and i free range and in almost 2 years of having them have not lost one to any predators yet.

 

[Marlinchaser]

I vote that you get straight run everything, pick out the friendliest well manored roo to keep.

Then take the others and go to the PARTY at PP's and PC's and have dinner on the bad boys.

 

[JoeOxfordCT]

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I couldn't sleep last night and popped onto chat @ BYC and who did I meed but Perfectly_Polish (PP). I yakked with her for 2 hours about PC and other chicken stuff !

It wasn't til nearly the end when she told me she was only 15 !!

She's going to put some Blue/Black/Spash Orp eggs in her 'bator for me......

I still may order some other birds from MPC though...

 

[chickflick]

I would get only one roo for right now. I have two. One, like Krisrose said, is very aggressive, the other just very horny. I have bare backed chickens and very terrified chickens cuz between the two roos there is no rest. I now pen the horny roo separate from the girls. If the girls are in the pen, he's in the yard, and then when I let them free range, he goes in the pen. It's sad to see poor Spot so terrified. She lived in the garage for quite awhile until I started penning him. So, stick to one roo for right now....

 

[Marlinchaser]

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Now I have to start hanging out in Chat, I want some Orps too.