My poor baby!

[HarrounHomestead]

So disgusted with our roosters right now. My flock is currently 7 roosters and 6 hens. I have someone from my church that is going to take 6 roosters this week, but it can't come soon enough! This would be blood all over her and it looks like someone (or multiples) really got her on the neck.

For now, I am trying to keep her closer to the house, but when night comes, I have to put her back in with the others. I am guessing this happened last night as the blood is pretty dried up and she seems to be doing just fine. Also not sure she will stay away from the others, but I put food and water out by the house to try and keep her over here away from the others for now.

So sad!

 

[nuthatched]

That's not a severe injury, she'll be fine.
Have that person pick up 7 roosters, you don't have the hens for one.

 

[The Coop Crew]

Poor girl! She will be happy once those roosters are gone I’m sure

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Don't be disgusted by the male's, they're not doing anything wrong for a chicken. When ratios are this off, it's going to happen sooner than later

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Not the roosters fault. You put those hens in a testosterone filled colosseum.

 

[HarrounHomestead]

That's not a severe injury, she'll be fine.
Have that person pick up 7 roosters, you don't have the hens for one.

We were looking to have the hens reproduce. Will we need to incubate instead of keeping a rooster then?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We were looking to have the hens reproduce. Will we need to incubate instead of keeping a rooster then?

You need a rooster to get chicks. Still might need an incubator even with a rooster not all hens go broody

 

[nuthatched]

We were looking to have the hens reproduce. Will we need to incubate instead of keeping a rooster then?

If you want to breed them, then pick the one with the best manners.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am making a couple of assumptions here:

• first flock
• all of your birds are the same age
• and the roosters are coming into maturity long before the pullets.

And you know what they say about assumptions!

I too recommend letting all of the roosters go. A lot of times, roosters just raised with flock mates do not turn out well. Pullets are not ready for cockerels, until they start laying. If my assumption is correct, that could easily be another 6-8 weeks.

One really should not plan hatching pullet eggs, you really want to hatch larger eggs than pullets produce. So that adds another 6 - 8 weeks to needing a rooster.

What does your set up look like? What will you do with all the cockerels that you hatch? How many birds do you want to hatch, and your plans for them.

Just my two cents - you have years to have this hobby, no need to do it all at once. Just hens for several months, gives you chicken experience. Contact your 4-H clubs, or extension office or poultry club when it comes time to add a rooster, you have a much better chance of getting a good one.

Your original post question Until they come and get the roosters, take a piece of cardboard, tape it to the ceiling, cut a hole in the bottom that lines up with the roost, thread the roost through it, or tape it to the roost, dividing the roost in half. Tonight, after they have roosted, go put the roos on one side, the pullets on the other.

Mrs K