Maximum rooster to hen ratio?

[RusticSpoon]

What is the maximum rooster to hen ratio? As I understand, and please correct me if I am wrong, best practice is to have 1 rooster for every 10 hens minimum. But I was curious if it was possible to have too many hens for one rooster? I understand this is dependent on the breed, and disposition of the rooster, but for the purpose of this discussion, please use generalizations. Would there be a point of diminishing fertility ratios? I admit, hatching my own eggs is not a major concern, but it is still a concern nonetheless . What worries me the most, I suppose, is would the rooster become stressed if there are too many hens to handle? For example, if I were to have 1 rooster, with 20 hens, what would be the downsides?

 

[The Moonshiner]

I hardly seem to follow any of the rules but I don't even like to get to 10 hens per rooster. When I've done 10 to 1 or 12 to 1 I did see a higher percentage of infertile eggs..
I figured it was more of a when he has that many he picks favorites and skips some altogether.
Now if I have a pen with 10 or more hens I use 2 roosters.
Interested to see what others say.

 

[50-45-1]

The thing is, roosters differ.
I had a rooster once who had a harem of 6 girls. The other 6 hens weren't included in his "favorite's" group, and he did not tidbit to them or seem to favor them at all.
I think normally the 10-12 hens to 1 rooster is the standard answer.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

1 rooster for every 10 hens

This is for commercial hatcheries to get the most fertile eggs from the least roosters.


I don't think I've had a 1:10 ratio in years, if ever. Mine vary from 1:1 to I think 1:8 at the most? But probably not more than 1:6

 

[Shadrach]

It depends on what you are trying to achieve with the chickens and how you keep them.
As mentioned above, the often quoted 10:1 ratio is a rough guidline to ensure that the majority of hens produce fertile eggs.
There are some rather inconvenient problems though.
Many roosters have favourite hens and he will mate with those more than he will the others.
If one has a mixed breed flock fertility may be affected by a breed mismatch; very large rooster with very small hens for example. Sometimes things just don't line up as they should.
If the chickens range and/or free range then a rooster is unlikely to be able to perform the other duties a ranging rooster has with ten hens.
The ratio I have found that works well is 1:4. However, if one wants to keep more than 4 hens with a 1:4 ration then housing and care becomes more complicated.
10 laying hens of most breeds the backyard keepers seem to favour for egg production are going to produce a lot of eggs; 50 to 60 eggs a week at peak laying age. Can you use that many eggs?
If you would like to breed and egg producion is not the priority then 1:3 or 1:4 is favoured by many breeders.

 

[Folly's place]

It is individual, as mentioned already. Having many roosters can work, unless it doesn't, unless each breeding group is housed separately. I don't think that 'magic numbers' are as relevant as seeing how your individuals get along and work it out. Separate pens for each small group is most successful, and important for breeders who track family genetics.
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

Keep track as you cook. If you are having a lot of unfertilized eggs - too many hens or more roosters needed.

Sometimes I think that when we think of a coo/run, number of head, count of roosters and hens - What we REALLY think of is our own situations. And really no one keeps chickens just like us. On this forum, there is a huge variance in keeping practices, from weekly vet visits - strict confinement to feral birds, occasionally fed, and everywhere in between. With that wide of variance, a rule cannot be hard and fast.

Keep the least amount of roosters that meets your goals. Know that this number is not a solid number per hens. The age of the rooster, the age of the hens, the weather, the climate, the breeds involved can all shift fertility rates.

I do not think a rooster is stressed by too many hens. They are much more stressed if there are too many roosters. If you are free ranging to the point where the chickens live in trees, well you probably need more roosters. If you have a flock that has a coop and is locked up and protected...you don't need as many roosters.

The more roosters you have- the greater the chance of it going wrong. Personally, I would not want more than one rooster per dozen, and I would not feel the need to add the second rooster if I got up to 20 - but do know that this woman currently has two cockerels in her coop/run.

I like to add chicks each year- some I hatch, and if that doesn't work, I will add chicks. Right now, I have 13 head, and really that is too many for my needs. By next month - I will cut back to 7-8 hens and a rooster. Takes less feed, less water and less bedding, with more than enough eggs. Gives more space in my coop for the long nights of winter. I keep a flock, the number of birds, and the birds themselves changes.

The number is not static, it changes with the needs of the flock.

Mrs K

 

[Klutch]

I prefer to have two roosters per 10 hens, one dominate and one subordinate. Just incase #1 is shooting blanks or disappears. The subordinate will fill in the blanks when the #1 is not minding all the hens.

 

[Checota]

My OEGB Crele rooster is paired with 7 OEGB hens and fertility is great!

My others are silkies I have had 1 to 1 up to 7 to 10 hens no problems at all

my dual purpose has two salmon faverolle roosters and one light Brahma rooster.
my hens are buckeyes, faverolle,light Brahma, buff Brahma, americauna,
ratio is 3 roosters 30 hens all is well I do find the light Brahma has made a harem of all the Brahma hens, all others accept the faverolle roosters.