Keeping Roosters?

[marlene]

I have hatched lots of chicks over the summer as as you all probably know there is a 50/50 chance of roos, i already have a fair idea of how many are roos and which are pullets. At the moment i think i have 11 pullets and 7 roos, or at least i think these is what i have ??.
I know from reading on here that it is recommended to keep 1 roo to every 6-8 hens or there abouts, i know it seems to differ slightly from 1 post to another. I love all my chicks and will be really sad to see any go but i know realistically i cannot keep that many roos. I have seen some posts where people keep quite a few roos and they keep them seperate from the hens, i'm wondering why and is this a possability for me? I suppose i'm just trying to find a way to keep all of mine, any advise and information to help my decission will be much appreciated.
Ps i also have 4 other hens that are older/ my flock consists of 4 hens and 1 roo of normal size breeds and all the rest are bantam breeds.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Reasons to keep extra roos...if you have something happen to your best roo in a breeding program, it makes sense to have a stand-in to replace him.

If you keep roos together, expect one or two to become sodomized.

I currently have 10 roos in with 24 hens and they all get along famously! My bantams and LF are currently mixed together with the exception of my Lavender Ameraucana pen. I also have 30 young chicks (3 months old) mixed in with the flock. They are cockerels and pullets, but everyone gets along!

I have kept roos in a bachelor pad last winter, and had mixed results.

If you are breeding for certain traits, keep the best roos for the breed. If it is just a backyard mixed flock, keep the roos that protect your girls and are friendly to you and them.

Other than that, if they aren't for the table, or specific breeding, or merely as pets, no sense in keeping them just to feed them.

 

[CMV]

A lot of folks keep bachelor pens to house roos away from the main flock(s). This keeps the fighting down to a minimum, and prevents wear and tear on the hens. It is also a place where boys can grow out to processing size without making a nuisance of themselves. The recommended ratio of roos to hens is 1:10, but it depends on your situation and your roos. Bachelor pens are actually a nice option if you have the space.

Good luck.

 

[marlene]

Thank you for the information.
Realistically i know i can't keep that many roos but a have grown attached already in a short time, and it will become harder to rehome the longer i keep them.
Ideally i should look at keeping maybe 2 as i only want them for protecting the hens and maybe in the spring i would like to hatch a few chicks.
As they are only young i would want to see how they mature and choose the friendliest to keep as i don't want to end up with a mean roo, i have read a few posts on here at it scares me just reading the stories of roos turning on their owners.
In an ideal world i would love to be able to keep them all but i really could'nt manage if the roos were fighting each other.

 

[waterchicken]

I'm going to be getting some straight-run silkies

, I'm building a bachelor pen for any boys.