/ Register

  1. If this is your first time on BYC, we suggest you start with one of these three options:
    Raising Chickens Chicken Coops Join BYC
    If you're already a member of our community, click here to login & click here to learn what's new!

Introducing 2 Roosters and 6 new hens to a flock of 10

Discussion in 'Managing Your Flock' started by luvmyzoocrew, Jun 20, 2011.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Jun 20, 2011 #1
    luvmyzoocrew

    luvmyzoocrew New Egg

    2
    0
    7
    Aug 6, 2009
    I have 2 Roosters that we are going to put with our flock of 10 girls already and we are going to have 6 more hens that are 2 months old. They are locked up at night and then we let them free range from the time we get out to open up the pen for them, they are just newly free ranging. I am going to slip the roosters in tonight with my girls and didnt know if we should do that with the little girls? just do it all at o nce, intro of new hens and roosters? all the chaos at once? Will the little ones be ok since they will free range for most of the day
     
  3. Jun 20, 2011 #2
    gritsar

    gritsar Cows, Chooks & Impys - OH MY!

    28,907
    113
    408
    Nov 9, 2007
    SW Arkansas
    [​IMG]

    I think everyone would do it differently. I would settle the new roos in first and wait to introduce the new pullets until they are nearly the same size as the adults. That way the roos will have already established themselves and can referee in any issues that come up with the new pullets.

    By the way, a hen to rooster ratio of 16 to 2 is pushing the limits a bit, IMHO. Your hens may get stressed out if the roosters are too "rooster-ish".
     
  5. Jun 21, 2011 #3
    snowflake

    snowflake Chillin' With My Peeps

    2,834
    55
    231
    Aug 21, 2009
    Belding Michigan
    2 roos is one to many, I think 1 to 10 unless they are small breeds I have standard and 2 roos with 19 hens and the still seem to be getting over used by the roo's, first time I have had so many bare backs and heads.
     
  7. Jun 21, 2011 #4
    luvmyzoocrew

    luvmyzoocrew New Egg

    2
    0
    7
    Aug 6, 2009
    oh no [​IMG] They are in with my girls from last night, all seems to be well, of course this is just day one. I hope i dont have to return the one, we adopted them from a rescue. The two seem to be so different, I think the one might be really old, he doesnt crow, and is just walking around with the girls, where as the white one is the one that is hearding them, and acting like there little baby sitter, i wonder if that will make a difference? oh gosh I hope,lol. I am mad i thought that the ratio was 10 to 1 but they told me 4 to 1, ugh
     
  9. Jun 21, 2011 #5
    kano

    kano Chillin' With My Peeps

    313
    2
    123
    Aug 24, 2008
    Santiago de Chile
    I don't think is going to be much trouble. The old hens are not going to figth the roos (if they are old enough), the pullets are too small to figth with the old hens. They are going to run. And in 3 more months they are going to be hens and 16 in total.
     

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by