I have another question.

[Cheri]

If I have 7 cockerels like some one suggested........what can I do? I know where I can buy adult hens, which is what I should have done in the first place. Can 7 roosters live together?

 

[Southern28Chick]

I think the only way 7 roosters will work is if you have about 1 hundred hens to keep them busy and not kill each other. From what I hear roosters are very territorial and will fight for dominance.

I maybe wrong but that's what I've heard.

 

[Hotwings]

Quote:
Get rid of them. Right now they may be manageable but if hens come into the picture watch out. 7 roosters will be fighting for dominace once hens come into the picture. I have heard some people keeping them together solely as bachelors but I am not sure on this. You have my deepest symapthies.

 

[Cheri]

Well I have two adorable red ones that will come to me if I have chicken feed in my hands. Question is........how to get rid of them. I have two different breeds maybe I will keep one each. Thank God I didn't pay a lot for them.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Well, you're options are:
1) Re-homing them
2) Sell them
3) Trade back to the feed store
4) Trade an individual for pullets (or whatever)
5) Cull, and keep or give away the meat.
6) Try keeping them, see what happens and decide then.

 

[Cheri]

Yeah that is what I was thinking. Just watch them and see if they turn out to be all roosters.

 

[allen wranch]

If there is only one or two hens and seven roosters, they could seriously hurt the hens. I have a friend whose bachelor roosters ganged up on a hen and killed her by mating over and over. The skin was ripped off her head.

Hormones are sometimes not a pretty thing.

 

[mommyp]

How many hens are you thinking about getting? I am no expert but we have about 20 hens and 8 roosters.There definitely is a pecking order but it works. We got specific breeds so my son could show for 4-h . Then there were the cute ones at the feed store that mommy had to have straight run of course. And the adorable silkie chicks again straight run.So we have more roos than we originally wanted but we love them too.The one rule we do have is NO mean roosters. We do every thing we can to re home them being honest about thier temperament and when all else fails they go in the freezer. I hope that does not offend. But that does keep every one happy including my dh. What breed did you say they were because our cochins are super sweet.

 

[Cheri]

I believe I have 3 Leghorns and 4 RIR. They look just like AccidentalFarms chicks. I plan on getting quite a few hens. I may just give away 5. I do have one favorite RIR and I will put something on it so I can tell it from the others. One Leghorn is getting a nice tail now. The one RIR was pecking my toes.