Lots of Rooster questions.....need. some advice

[chickenlickin8]

So.... I've never kept a rooster before myself and I'm helping a good friend with their mix flock of young pullets about 5 monthd old. There are White Leghorns, Barred Rock, Ameraucana, Comets, and Ancona.

Among the flock, we ended up with 3 young ros. So 13 pullets and 3 roos. One is a RIR, one is a BA and the last roo is a Bantam Cochin....he is a cutie.

How old do the Roos have to be before they are fertilizing the eggs? I see them starting to try to mount.

Will the standard size Roos her the Bantam Roo as they become older and more dominant over the flock?

Anticipating that the standard size roos may hurt the bantam, we are setting up a separate coop for him and 4 Bantam Cochin pullets we just purchased.

Are two roosters sufficient to fertilize a flock of 13 hens?

In general, will the Roos be aggressive towards us when we tried to feed the flock?

How can we make friends with the roos?


I will stop here. Thanks in advance for your answers and feedback.

 

[Urban Flock]

Keeping 2 Roos together with 13 hens probably won't work. They will fight. 1 Roo for 13 is sufficient. As far as getting a nice Roo it's a toss up. They may or may not turn out to be nice. They may be nice for a few years then turn into a snarky creature. You can never be positive about anything when it comes to a Roo.

 

[chickenlickin8]

With 2 roos, we want to be sure all 13 hens will be fertilized. The coop and run is 10 ft wide by 20 ft long so plenty of room for all. We will be hatching eggs once all the girls are laying.

They are all 5 months now, how long before we can test the eggs in the incubator?

How long does a hen have to be laying before the eggs are fertile?

If she mates today, will the egg she lays be fertile tomorrow?

 

[Folly's place]

Pullet eggs tend to be small, and have lower hatching rates. Wait until everyone is older; probably another few months, before trying to hatch chicks. Cockrels vary in temperament, so give them time to develop, and select the best then. Not human aggressive, good with the hens, and no genetic faults. Think about what your breeding goals are; these chicks will all be mutts, so is that what you want? Mary

 

[chickens really]

It usually goes 1 Rooster to 10 Hens...Other than that the roosters over breed the hens. Poor girls get no rest from the wicked!
Get rid of one Roo for the ladies.

 

[chickenlickin8]

Pullet eggs tend to be small, and have lower hatching rates.  Wait until everyone is older;  probably another few months, before trying to hatch chicks.  Cockrels vary in temperament, so give them time to develop, and select the best then.  Not human aggressive, good with the hens, and no genetic faults.  Think about what your breeding goals are;  these chicks will all be mutts, so is that what you want?  Mary

Thanks Mary. I don't mind if the chicks are mixed breed. The Bantam Cochin coop will be pure.

I will be getting rid of the RIR roo and keeping the BA roo. Sounds like we only need one roo for the 13 hens according to feedback. Thanks again

 

[TheTwoRoos]

So.... I've never kept a rooster before myself and I'm helping a good friend with their mix flock of young pullets about 5 monthd old. There are White Leghorns, Barred Rock, Ameraucana, Comets, and Ancona.

Among the flock, we ended up with 3 young ros. So 13 pullets and 3 roos. One is a RIR, one is a BA and the last roo is a Bantam Cochin....he is a cutie.

How old do the Roos have to be before they are fertilizing the eggs? I see them starting to try to mount.

Will the standard size Roos her the Bantam Roo as they become older and more dominant over the flock?

Anticipating that the standard size roos may hurt the bantam, we are setting up a separate coop for him and 4 Bantam Cochin pullets we just purchased.

Are two roosters sufficient to fertilize a flock of 13 hens?

In general, will the Roos be aggressive towards us when we tried to feed the flock?

How can we make friends with the roos?


I will stop here. Thanks in advance for your answers and feedback.

They can become fertile at about 4 months old.They may or may not beat him up depending whether or not their the type of roosters who can tolerate other roosters.I have had roosters who have to be the ONLY ones in charge.

Most people say the general rule is 1 roo to ten hens,but you do not have too depending on whether they are aggressive maters.Which probably their first few "Teen" months they will be.They can do a great job with 13 hens to fertilize.

You never know if they will be aggressive until they get older,which you still may not know if they will stay aggressive until about a year old,then you send him elsewhere.

Keep in mind,just because they are gentle now,doesn't mean their not gonna split apart from you as they get older,but if you wanna make friends with them,then ok.

All you do is hand feed them,pet them,and hold them.In general just respect them,if they don't wanna be touched,don't touch them.be sure to make him obey you.If he is stubborn and won't get out your way,do not walk around him,walk straight through him,and if he still isn't willing to move,shove him out your way.

Also a pen is a great idea,even for other chickens,you never may know what will go on....your cochin may bully your standard size...

 

[chickenlickin8]

They can become fertile at about 4 months old.They may or may not beat him up depending whether or not their the type of roosters who can tolerate other roosters.I have had roosters who have to be the ONLY ones in charge.

Most people say the general rule is 1 roo to ten hens,but you do not have too depending on whether they are aggressive maters.Which probably their first few "Teen" months they will be.They can do a great job with 13 hens to fertilize.

You never know if they will be aggressive until they get older,which you still may not know if they will stay aggressive until about a year old,then you send him elsewhere.

Keep in mind,just because they are gentle now,doesn't mean their not gonna split apart from you as they get older,but if you wanna make friends with them,then ok.

All you do is hand feed them,pet them,and hold them.In general just respect them,if they don't wanna be touched,don't touch them.be sure to make him obey you.If he is stubborn and won't get out your way,do not walk around him,walk straight through him,and if he still isn't willing to  move,shove him out your way.

Also a pen is a great idea,even for other chickens,you never may know what will go on....your cochin may bully your standard size...

Thanks TheTwoRoos! Alot of good info. We getting rid of the RIR and keeping the BA. So he will have the flock of hens to himself.

Our little cochin roo will be in a separate coop with 4 little cochin pullets.

Having roos can be a little complicated but they are beautiful and I love the crowing of a rooster

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Your Welcome.