how many roosters with hens?

[IZZYBELLA]

farmgal - is there a reason you need a rooster? I'm not sure where you are located, but with winter coming I wouldn't want my girls having bare backs. I had 8 hens to 1 rooster and it was still far too much mating for the girls. The problem was he seemed to have his favorites - some that he would mate all the time and others he never touched. The aggression is something I do not put up with in roosters either, so I personally would cull them. You don't want someone to get injured. I know it is hard to kill an animal, but I think of it this way - you have given them a really good life and can give them a humane ending while preserving the health of your girls. Think of how lucky they are compared to the roosters born in the hatcheries!

 

[SpaghettiJo]

both of them are attacking me not sure if it would be good to sell them.I definitely dont want them to be culled do you have any tips on keeping them from attacking my legs.I might keep one of my younger roosters that is 20 weeks old that i hatched from one of my broody hens that
is scared of me which i guess is good.

keep your young rooster scared of you - you'll be better off
I'd personally either train your attacking roosters the way Beekissed recommends, or get rid of 'em

Here's what Beekissed recommends:

Rooster aggression:

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

 

[keesmom]

wow i have way to many roosters for five hens,i cant bare to get rid of one of my roosters.I think it also might be is that there in a smaller area then they used to be.I might be able to add 10

Yes, you have too many cockerels for such a small number of hens.

How large is their coop and run (ft x ft)? You don't want to add so many extra birds only to add overcrowding to your list of problems.

What is your reaction when these idiot cockerels attack you? And no, that isn't instinctive. They're being rude.

 

[Feather Fanatic 2000]

I totally agree with SpaghettiJo! Aggressive roosters are not good birds! However, if you have an attachment to them, you need to show DOMINANCE! I had two aggressive roosters that I had to keep because I didn't have any replacements for them until my hen went broody, and the only way to keep them from attacking me, was if I attacked them first. A rooster will quickly learn to not mess with you if you punt him across the pen a few times... and then CHASE HIM. I know this sounds mean, but if you don't want to either get attacked or have them culled, showing dominance is necessary.
Also, younger roosters mate MUCH more than older ones. While a young, virile rooster may be destroying the backs of more than twenty hens (trust me, I had two roosters to almost forty hens and there were still bare backs), older ones don't usually need more than 8-10. My advice, find one or two good roosters, and then STICK WITH THEM!

 

[Farmgal101]

Yes, you have too many cockerels for such a small number of hens.

How large is their coop and run (ft x ft)? You don't want to add so many extra birds only to add overcrowding to your list of problems.

What is your reaction when these idiot cockerels attack you? And no, that isn't instinctive. They're being rude.

when they attack me i normally grab them and hold them for a second but release it after a minute,they still attack,not sure of the size of there run,it is smaller then what it was

 

[SpaghettiJo]

when they attack me i normally grab them and hold them for a second but release it after a minute,they still attack,not sure of the size of there run,it is smaller then what it was

Definitely follow Beekissed's advice! If you read what i posted above, she explains why holding them down doesn't work..

 

[Feather Fanatic 2000]

Grabbing them doesn't do anything, it only annoys them more. They are bullying you, now you need to bully them back. Right now, they see themselves as above you. You need to set them straight.

 

[Farmgal101]

Yes, you have too many cockerels for such a small number of hens.

How large is their coop and run (ft x ft)? You don't want to add so many extra birds only to add overcrowding to your list of problems.

What is your reaction when these idiot cockerels attack you? And no, that isn't instinctive. They're being rude.

I totally agree with SpaghettiJo! Aggressive roosters are not good birds! However, if you have an attachment to them, you need to show DOMINANCE! I had two aggressive roosters that I had to keep because I didn't have any replacements for them until my hen went broody, and the only way to keep them from attacking me, was if I attacked them first. A rooster will quickly learn to not mess with you if you punt him across the pen a few times... and then CHASE HIM. I know this sounds mean, but if you don't want to either get attacked or have them culled, showing dominance is necessary.
Also, younger roosters mate MUCH more than older ones. While a young, virile rooster may be destroying the backs of more than twenty hens (trust me, I had two roosters to almost forty hens and there were still bare backs), older ones don't usually need more than 8-10. My advice, find one or two good roosters, and then STICK WITH THEM!

keep your young rooster scared of you - you'll be better off
I'd personally either train your attacking roosters the way Beekissed recommends, or get rid of 'em

Here's what Beekissed recommends:

Rooster aggression:

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

farmgal - is there a reason you need a rooster? I'm not sure where you are located, but with winter coming I wouldn't want my girls having bare backs. I had 8 hens to 1 rooster and it was still far too much mating for the girls. The problem was he seemed to have his favorites - some that he would mate all the time and others he never touched. The aggression is something I do not put up with in roosters either, so I personally would cull them. You don't want someone to get injured. I know it is hard to kill an animal, but I think of it this way - you have given them a really good life and can give them a humane ending while preserving the health of your girls. Think of how lucky they are compared to the roosters born in the hatcheries!

wow i have way to many roosters for five hens,i cant bare to get rid of one of my roosters.I think it also might be is that there in a smaller area then they used to be.I might be able to add 10

I think i have decided i am going to sell both roosters and keep my five broody hens.I am going to add five more hens that the broodys have hatched when they get older.I also have a rooster that is scared of me that my broodys have hatched that i will keep.If i end up not selling the roosters i defintly will show them who is the boss

 

[Farmgal101]

Thank you guys for all the help if you have any more tips let me know.

 

[Farmgal101]

farmgal - is there a reason you need a rooster? I'm not sure where you are located, but with winter coming I wouldn't want my girls having bare backs. I had 8 hens to 1 rooster and it was still far too much mating for the girls. The problem was he seemed to have his favorites - some that he would mate all the time and others he never touched. The aggression is something I do not put up with in roosters either, so I personally would cull them. You don't want someone to get injured. I know it is hard to kill an animal, but I think of it this way - you have given them a really good life and can give them a humane ending while preserving the health of your girls. Think of how lucky they are compared to the roosters born in the hatcheries!

That seems to be the problem with mine I have 2 hens that are going bare back.I live in Georgia so its still warm but i defiantly need to figure something out with winter around the corner