How many rooster's should I keep for 20 hens in a 336 square foot space?

[JacquelineJ]

Nice sized coop...but run may get tight with that many.
Might want to think about paring down the population numbers.
Think about setting up a separation area in your coop,
wire wall with easy human access to tend the detainees.
Even better would be if it could have separate access to a small run,
either an additional run or a segment of existing one.
It will work for an isolation pen for rowdy young males...and later down the road for brooding/growing out replacement layers.
Don't know your long term goals, but that's my suggestion.

nice point

 

[barred2rock]

It's recommended to have a minimum of 10 sqft per bird in the run, but it's always good to have more. I have an 8 x 8' coop & 8 x 18' (28.8 sqft per bird) run for five birds.

 

[Dmontgomery]

For the past year I've had 2 roosters and between 20-30 hens living in 768 sqft. We have a 16'x16' open coop and 16'x32' run. They free range dawn to dusk over several acres. They are only locked up at night. 2 roosters is still one too many. There is a fight anytime the alpha male sees the beta rooster even get close to one of the hens.

 

[Peeps61]

Yes, I had planned on it. Unless I have no way of expanding. I definitely don't want to over crowd. I know I don't have to have a rooster. I've had chickens since I was a little girl...just never confined to a small area. And it has been a few years being out of practice. I was wondering how they will behave when getting older being around females and all wanting to be king of the roost.

For fertility purposes you would need two with that many hens. However, in that amount of space, they are going to fight unless you have a very docile junior rooster. They will still fight to determine who the lower guy will be. I'd go with one, observe which hens he mates with and use those eggs for hatching. If you find you can't expand, don't keep any roosters.

 

[Abriana]

ten to twelve hens per roo

 

[barn206]

I have the same setup 12x10+ and the screen coop. I have 2 roosters and 17 hens. They are being raised together and so far so good. If I have to expand I will. But I'm hoping they get along.

 

[lazy gardener]

My roo easily covered 24 hens with good fertility. The only reason to have more than one roo is if you are keeping more than one breed, and want to keep pure stock.

 

[Tina Shelton]

I have the same setup 12x10+ and the screen coop. I have 2 roosters and 17 hens. They are being raised together and so far so good. If I have to expand I will. But I'm hoping they get along.

Sounds like we do have the same setup. Their about 13 weeks old. Big healthy fat chickens. No problems yet. I just bought another building just in case.

 

[barn206]

Good thinking!!!

 

[JacquelineJ]

My roo easily covered 24 hens with good fertility. The only reason to have more than one roo is if you are keeping more than one breed, and want to keep pure stock.

That and if you're free ranging you might think it wise to have two of whichever roo you free range in case one gives his life..

I've pure Icelandics and will have 2 adult males and 2 juvenile with my 14 pullets. I've also got one rooster of the two other breeds i keep that don't free range.