How many roosters do you need ?

[chickenjim1]

I Have Easter Eggers how many roosters do I need per Hen ?

will the rooster get along if raised together ?

 

[Nutcase]

I Have Easter Eggers how many roosters do I need per Hen ?

will the rooster get along if raised together ?

You don't need any roosters per hen if you don't want to. You can keep any number of hens without a rooster but once you add a rooster you need at least 3 hens, otherwise they will be mated too much. If you want multiple roosters, like maybe 3, you should have 20 chickens at the very least. Some people have done well with a smaller hen to rooster ratio but it is a good idea to be safe, right? There's a good chance roosters will get along if raised together.

 

[K Spot]

You don't need any roosters per hen if you don't want to. You can keep any number of hens without a rooster but once you add a rooster you need at least 3 hens, otherwise they will be mated too much. If you want multiple roosters, like maybe 3, you should have 20 chickens at the very least. Some people have done well with a smaller hen to rooster ratio but it is a good idea to be safe, right? There's a good chance roosters will get along if raised together.

x2

I have 9 hens and no roosters.

People keep roos around as flock protectors and for breeding. If you don't need either, then you don't need a rooster for hens to lay eggs.
They also look pretty darn good in a flock too.

But if you want a rooster, go by what Nutcase has suggested

 

[Nutcase]

I'd love a rooster for my four hens but can't have one in suburbia. If I eventually get one it will be because they look so great! And they look after the hens as an added bonus.

 

[chickenjim1]

thanks i love hearing them crow in the morning i have 45 Easter Eggers 3 months old not sure how many Roosters yet

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

thanks i love hearing them crow in the morning i have 45 Easter Eggers 3 months old not sure how many Roosters yet

If you have a breeding pen, then you want approx. 6 hens per rooster. If you have them all together, multiple roosters and multiple hens, then you want a minimum of 9-10 hens per rooster. There's no way you'll have a peaceful flock with only three roosters per hen as suggested above. The hens will be overmated, and there will be rooster fights all the time over hens. If your purpose is having fertile eggs, I'd get four or five roosters. If your purpose is hearing a rooster crow in the morning, then you could just get one and you'll be fine.

If you want to make sure that your future generations of Easter Eggers lay blue or green eggs, then get purebred Ameraucana roosters. If you use Easter Egger roosters, then approx. 1/4 of the chicks will lay brown eggs.

 

[chickenjim1]

Thanks so much for the reply and the great info. i need to get a few pure Ameraucana rooster where would you buy Ameraucana rooster from its hard to find pure ones

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Thanks so much for the reply and the great info. i need to get a few pure Ameraucana rooster where would you buy Ameraucana rooster from its hard to find pure ones

actually not as hard as you would think, it is just hard to find good quality ones. Get on the ABC at www.ameraucana.org and get on the breeders directory

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

actually not as hard as you would think, it is just hard to find good quality ones. Get on the ABC at www.ameraucana.org and get on the breeders directory

You can also look on the BYC Buy-Sell-Trade forum. Post an ad looking for free or cheap roos. Especially if you plan to make EEs, it doesn't matter if the boy you get has, for instance, purple beetling in with the green on a black bird (A disqualifying fault in a show) as long as he has two copies of the blue egg gene to pass along. I was given a lovely wheaten Ameraucana rooster for free by a BYC member that breeds the birds and had too many cockerels. I got a purebred bird and she knew that her cockerel had a good home.

 

[chickenjim1]

THANKS