Leghorn mating ratio...Holy crap!?!?!?

[Ruler of the Roost]

I'm on crackle hatchery's website preplanning an order of leghorn chicks. I want to buy half my leghorn flock in May/June, and the other half during winter time to ensure egg production year round as well as for breeding and selling...I'm looking at the mating ratio they state, though...12 hens to 1 rooster? If I were to breed them in a semi professional manner, it would seem that one rooster to 12 hens wouldn't seem sufficient... I always thought the rule was 4-6 hens per rooster, and I thought this was relatively true across most breeds... What do you guys think? (I'm probably wrong...)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

12 hens to 1 rooster sounds about right.

 

[SourRoses]

Let's just say that boys are not quite as essential as they think they are

Most of the Roos I've kept, mate every half hour or so on average. More in the morning, and the least during dustbath hours. Since hens can store sperm up to three weeks, they don't need his attention every day.
The most common fertility issue is cases of preferential treatment, leaving some potentially ignored, but that's more easily solved with a rooster replacement than addition.

 

[Ruler of the Roost]

Let's just say that boys are not quite as essential as they think they are

Most of the Roos I've kept, mate every half hour or so on average. More in the morning, and the least during dustbath hours. Since hens can store sperm up to three weeks, they don't need his attention every day.
The most common fertility issue is cases of preferential treatment, leaving some potentially ignored, but that's more easily solved with a rooster replacement than addition.

well, I've gotten five roos...

 

[FrostRanger]

12 hens sounds about right, generally the ratio we usually give out here is 1 roo per 10 hens but generally more hens than that is preferable especially if you have multiple roos. For someone just wanting to keep their accidental roo I personally don't recommend fewer than 6-8 hens. Yes, one can get away with less than that if their roo is not particularly amorous or if it's just short term but it does increase the risk of running into issues with overbreeding. I certainly wouldn't personally recommend going with that low of a ratio with multiple roosters but again, people do sometimes have that ratio and it works 'cause their individual roosters are calm and get along well (life by its very nature is unpredictable) but one is more likely to run into issues with overbreeding and fighting with such a low ratio

 

[BigBlueHen53]

well, I've gotten five roos...

How many hens? Do you plan to just let them all free range together, or pen each flock separately? If free range, how much land do they have to share?

 

[Ruler of the Roost]

How many hens? Do you plan to just let them all free range together, or pen each flock separately? If free range, how much land do they have to share?

Not enough. We just hatched a home grown clutch and we got two hens and four roosters out of it. Once I’m done building we will have a 200sqft coop with a 1500 sft run for this particular flock

 

[Ruler of the Roost]

How many hens? Do you plan to just let them all free range together, or pen each flock separately? If free range, how much land do they have to share?

All my roos are atleast part bantam of that makes a difference

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I would refer you to @Shadrach's excellent article, Understanding Your Rooster. Given plenty of space (and hens), it can work, as the roosters will establish tribes and territories. Bantam vs Large Fowl shouldn't make a difference, I don't think, but he'd be the one to ask.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Bigger roosters (heavy) would cover less (6). The light guys really get around.