How many Roosters

[josh]

How many roosters for 24 hens?

 

[speckledhen]

One or two. No more than two, certainly, for that number. I have two with about 40 hens and they do great, except the older one wants them all for himself, LOL.

 

[picklespickles]

oh. speckled thanks for giving a low number like that. so many people i know in person have an almost one to one ratio. then they call me to come butcher. not that i'm complaining, free meat for me, but that's the one thing people seem to misunderstand that has consequences more than most.

 

[pipermark]

I'll give you another one, I have 9 cockerels and 8 coming of age pullets. You will find that some ladies are more obliging then others. I have one like that. I have had to separate her, because the roos tore a hole in the back of her neck.

Listen well to the wise and mighty Speckle!

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Yeah no more than 2.

 

[chicken_dude]

You will need three roosters if you have heavy breeds or two roosters if you have light breeds.

 

[noriko]

I know you suppose to have one roo for 8~10 hens. BUT~~~!!!!!! I have a lot of ROOS here.....I know that's little too much for my hens....but, it's kinda hard to get rid of them & I just love every roo I have......ummmmmm. And Wow. speckledhen....two roo for 40 hens

He is tough!

 

[rooster0209]

I have an almost one-one ratio.

4 Roosters and 6 hens (1 hen is silkie) Not what I wanted but the last eggs I hatched all four were roosters. A friend took two of those for his 40 hens.

I just hate the idea of culling them, just because they are roosters. The new chicks I get in April should help even out the numbers.

The little Silkie will be in with the new chicks when they arrive

 

[picklespickles]

i guess since it is flock managemnet, i worry about the overall well being of the flock, not just the roosters. harrased ladies dont' do their jobs as well and certainly aren't as happy which is kind of the point of backyard flocks. everyone will have a different ratio depending on thier situation, but knowing that you have too many and keeping them anyway is not being a protective mom or manager, however we see ourselves. of course, for those who keep roos seperate, this would't apply at all.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
That is in the main laying flock. My Blue Orp pen has one roo for four hens at the moment. The Delaware breeding flock will end up with one rooster for six or seven hens. When fertility is paramount, you would do well with no more than a 10-12 hens per rooster.

Yes, right now, my head BR rooster, Dutch, is doing quite well with all those ladies. As he ages, the fertility level will go down some, I'm sure. Quite the stud, he is!