How many roosters are too many?

[Chickassan]

All good advice! I don't have a separate coop and run for the boys, and go through the 'sift and winnow' process with my cockerels every year. I'm working on it now; a few chicks and adults left three weeks ago, and more will leave later in August. Most cockerels hatched do NOT find new flocks, and that's tough, but it's how things are. Providing a meal for a family is a good thing, when life has been good until that day, IMO.
Your hens and pullets deserve to have good lives too, and that includes not being driven wild by over-attentive males.
Mary

This in spades! I'm in the same boat as Mary no seperate space to house young fellas. I'm only choosing between two luckily. My choice was made for me today. I put one of my boys in the run to give the flock peace. This guy had room, food, water he even got treats. He was in from 7 am until 5 pm when I was going to let him mingle. I opened the run and instead of running to the flock he ran up my leg. Choice was made, now i'm sure of my keeper and iv'e got a bird to process tomorrow. Sometimes you don't have to weigh your options very hard at all.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I hatch out all of my chicks. I leave the males and females together for the first 3/4 months then I move the males to bachelor coops and pens. For the most part they all get along as long as there are no females. Once in awhile they may pick on one of the males then I take the one being picked on out.
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You can peacefully keep roosters together IF you have no hens. I am actually going to try this because I always run out of roosters .. This is a great idea and I am going to try it as I am allowed to have roosters!!

 

[Glashavenfarm]

I must be really blessed because I have 16 hens and three roosters and have not had one problem with any of them as far as fighting. They each have chosen the particular hens that are their own little flock. 1 ayam cemani has the same five hens stick together and he stays with them. The second ayam cemani, that is his brother, has his own little group and my alsteirer has his favorite 6 and seems to be the Lord of them all. Now they are not cooped together, but my chickens only go in at night and they come back out and free range during the day. Being able to have separate territory probably helps.

 

[bobbi-j]

I must be really blessed because I have 16 hens and three roosters and have not had one problem with any of them as far as fighting. They each have chosen the particular hens that are their own little flock. 1 ayam cemani has the same five hens stick together and he stays with them. The second ayam cemani, that is his brother, has his own little group and my alsteirer has his favorite 6 and seems to be the Lord of them all. Now they are not cooped together, but my chickens only go in at night and they come back out and free range during the day. Being able to have separate territory probably helps.

It definitely helps. A couple of years ago, I had two roosters that each had their own harem. It worked because my chickens free range most days of the summer. When winter came, I put each flock in a separate coop to prevent fighting and over crowding. In the spring, they each established their own territory again.

 

[cmom]

Years ago I wanted to try flock breeding so I had 3 males in with about 30 females and there was a dominant male but for the most part they all got along ok.

 

[chickyrookie]

Other than kept in a separate flock, you need to lose all the young males or use one as a replacement for the adult rooster.

It's hard to tell which to keep. I have an Easter Egger rooster that is getting quite big and is starting to "dance" with the hens. I have another new Ameraucana rooster and he seems like he is a late bloomer (born same time as EE). My original Ameraucana rooster is a stud, so definitely want to keep him. As far the little EE that just started to crow, well...he doesn't even stand a chance. I just thought maybe they can all just get along....

 

[chickyrookie]

All good advice! I don't have a separate coop and run for the boys, and go through the 'sift and winnow' process with my cockerels every year. I'm working on it now; a few chicks and adults left three weeks ago, and more will leave later in August. Most cockerels hatched do NOT find new flocks, and that's tough, but it's how things are. Providing a meal for a family is a good thing, when life has been good until that day, IMO.
Your hens and pullets deserve to have good lives too, and that includes not being driven wild by over-attentive males.
Mary

Great advice! My original Ameraucana is already being "over-attentive" with one of my hens. She's looking really sad. His last two favorites perished this year without any signs of sickness except for the lack of feathers from being "loved". Now he only has 3 ladies left from original batch. He has a favorite, a second favorite, and one he won't touch (weird). I was hoping my other roos with just want to mate with the ladies in their little flock. They all really do stay with their own flock. Wishful thinking?

 

[chickyrookie]

You have too many roosters. If there aren't fights yet, I'd have a plan in place for when it happens. The other thing that can (and likely will) happen will be that your hens will be harassed without end. When my ratio was about 1:1, the cockerels would chase and gang breed the pullets non-stop. Those poor girls couldn't eat, drink or dust bathe without 2 or more cockerels going after them.

Until you decide what to do with extra males, I would suggest not hatching any more eggs or you will be overrun with males that will be eating you out of house and home.

Thanks for the advice. Right now I have 4 roos and 12 hens. I do want happy chickens. I will start by letting 2 roos go.

 

[BullMtnFords]

I took in 3 bantams, Tiny Lil guys, early this year. They've grown with 13 pullets/hens & 4 adult Hens, of various, egg laying, breeds . There's a free Roo on CL that I would like, Want another batch of chicks to march down the mountain with Momma, like a couple years ago. (Lot of Sandstone above the house.) EVERYONE is free range. I Do have a 3 hen coop-like thing, can house a couple chickens in. Am I asking for trouble if I take a larger breed rooster in? I've seen 2 of the Bantam roos, challenge each other. The girls seem to treat them as babies, they're so Small.. Pic taken when Brought them home, altho NOT much bigger since then..

 

[cmom]

As chicks it's no problem but as they get older and the testosterone kicks in they may try to kill each other.