How many roosters?

[wantbroodychix]

I am wondering how many roosters can be in a coop together if they are different breeds. I'm sorry if this is the wrong area I currently have three Rhode Island Reds and one Rooster, 6 Barred Rocks and 5 Buff Orpingtons and two of each of those breeds are Roosters. I am already planning and watching for which ones to cull so I can reduce it to one of each breed. My question is tho, is that actually necessary if I'm just using them for eggs and not necessarily for hatching? Oh and can I let them mix the breeds or is there some reason why that's not a good idea? I am planning to get 3 silkies later this week and needed to know if I need a rooster for them too? I know this is a ton of questions but I want to make sure I do what's best for my chickens Thanks so much for any input!

 

[chickmomma03]

I have 1 rooster and 10 hens. I didn't intend to have any roosters. I had another, but he went back to the store he came from. I plan to get at least 2 more hens. I wouldn't have more than 1 if it was me, but that's me. I think the ratio is something like 10 hens to 1 rooster.

 

[Percheron chick]

Why have any roosters if you only have chickens for eggs? 5/15 are non productive extra mouths to feed. Of the breeds listed, the BOs should be the most docile. I would not mix silkies with the LF you have. They are somewhat "handicapped" by their size and impaired vision and are easily bullied by the larger flock mates.

 

[chickmomma03]

Oh yea, I never covered that part. It's up to you. I'm not planning on regular hatches right now, but I might. Mine is kept because I was already attached to him before realizing he was a he AND he has been a GREAT protector of my flock. I need the protection and warnings he gives. For me, the rewards far outweigh the 1 extra mouth to feed, and at some point he'll be a meal, so in reality he will "give back".

 

[junebuggena]

If you aren't keeping each breed separate, for breeding purposes, then there really isn't a point to keeping all of them. You don't need to keep a rooster at all, really. The hens will still lay eggs without them. If you do want to keep a rooster, I suggest choosing one of the Orpingtons. When crossed with the barred Rock hens, they produce some of the most beautiful black sexlink pullets I have ever seen.

 

[wantbroodychix]

I do want the option to hatch some if we decide to expand our flock, its just not a high priority right now.

 

[wantbroodychix]

Plus I was told that I needed to have a rooster for every breed because one rooster won't protect anyone unless they are "his" breed/flock? Is this not true?

 

[bobbi-j]

Plus I was told that I needed to have a rooster for every breed because one rooster won't protect anyone unless they are "his" breed/flock? Is this not true?

You do not need a rooster for every breed. Chickens don't much care about breed or color. The only reason you'd need a rooster for each breed is if you would want to keep each specific breed pure, and if that's the case you'd need to coop and run each set of chickens separately.

 

[chickmomma03]

Quote: I have pairs of different breeds (buffs, cochins, sex links, a leghorn because her pair died d/t neurological defect) then 4 EE (they were sold to me as purebred ameraucanas, but they're not, lesson learned), and he protects all of them. Even the littles (the 4 EE) that I'm integrating into the flock, he has also started taking a liking to them if you know what I mean.

 

[donrae]

A rooster looks at his harem and all he thinks is "I have some fine looking women!"

. He's not thinking "that striped girl doesn't look like something I want to get with, cause I'm a buff guy and that would just be wrong". To male animals, females are females, as long as they're (roughly) the same species. Breeds are a human artifice, not something animals even notice.

that said, I'd agree to keep a buff Orpington rooster, if you chose to keep one at all. You could get pure bred Orps, you could get pretty black sex links with the Rocks (they'll be gold on the front half, and black on the back basically, but prettier than that sounds), and a buff/red mix comes out an orange-ish shade and always seem to be popular birds if you're looking at selling chicks down the line.

I'd work on getting rid of the Rock and Red roosters now, and let the buff boys grow up and see how they are. Orps can be slow to mature, so you may have to give them a bit of time to be decent protectors (like over a year old).