may need help any ideas

[Patrick 14]

I ordered 20 chickens this year 15 hens with 5 rosters will I have problems if they are in same coop if so any ideas on how to keep the rosters from tearing out the hens feathers or separate them this is my first year actually keeping chickens

 

[coffeychicks]

They will fight and over mate your hens. When I havethis problem I send the undesired roos to the freezer.

 

[donrae]

What was your plan with the roosters? If you deliberately ordered that many, I'm thinking you had a reason...

 

[Patrick 14]

Plan was over time breed pure breeds it's 3 hens and 1 rooster of each out of 5 different breeds but I was afraid may be to much for one coop

 

[donrae]

If you're wanting to breed pure bred birds, you'd need to separate them anyway. If that's still your plan, just plan on 5 different coops.

Other option is a bachelor pad. When the roosters become apparent, pull them into a separate housing. All roosters and no females makes life okay, as a rule. Raise all the hens together and put birds you're desiring to breed in a breeding pen.

You're correct in that's too many roosters for the number of hens, especially when the boys hit maturity.

 

[Patrick 14]

Will 5 rosters not fight to the death if by themselves? Sorry if that's stupid question but I have no idea

 

[bobbi-j]

Will 5 rosters not fight to the death if by themselves? Sorry if that's stupid question but I have no idea

No. I had a dozen or more roosters in a bachelor/grow out pen a couple of years ago and they didn't fight at all.

 

[donrae]

If they're raised together, and there are no females to fight over, and they're not traditionally high-aggression breeds (shamos, some game birds, things like that) you're usually fine. Not 100% guaranteed fine, but it works quite often for many folks.