My white leghorn pullet might not be a pullet

[flocking nuts]

LOL. Just pick one to keep and rehome the other boys. Or rehome them all. You don't need to keep any of the boys, and if you're new to owning chickens, it's best that you don't keep any. You'll still get eggs, and the girls won't be stressed out by overzealous teenage boys...
Plus only 5 girls to one rooster may cause the hens to develop 'rooster damage'.

I had read about some of the benifits of having a rooster in the flock, to guard or atleast alarm, since we live right near Everglades National Park and the birding trail, and our birds spend most of the day free ranging.
Our intentional cockrel, Goose, is very friendly and even goes to see my daughter. (I haven't fully convinced her that tchicks dont want to swing, slide, dance or bounce. Not that i allow it, but look at something else for a second and she's off to try and swing.)

 

[flocking nuts]

Most of the time, cockerels that are raised together do just fine. They do fight a bit as they begin to mature, but once their pecking order is established, they live harmoniously. However, if you keep more than one, you need to have plenty of hens to go around, or house them in a way so that they can't see the hens. 

Does this mean that the roos and hens couldnt both free range? Would i be keeping them for meat? If so can i sell it or what. Not sure if i could eat something with a name.
Im sorry if i seemed dense. Im in 8 chickens more than I intended, and this is my first time.

 

[QueenMisha]

Of the 7 orphans 3 are believed to be cockrels putting that at 3:4. This is more pics of them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1120842/identifying-the-surprise-flock

I believe that our original flock is 2:5

That puts us at 5 cockerels, and 40-50 hens. We just dont have enough space to let them free range. Were on 1/4 acre. Beyond that what would i do with all the eggs and chicken (im not sure about eating the bird. Its gonna have to happen... i know)

What do i do with all of these orphaned roos?

If they're June 1st hatches, I'd bet you're about right on with 3:4 cockerels to pullets.

All my boys sleep in the same coops at night. Except Clay who needs to be kept separate (he's an ex gamecock). Of the 30+ about 8 are in a bachelor pad. The rest are split between my 16x16 standard coop and my 4x6 bantam coop. All groups except the bachelor pad include hens. That said, I personally haven't adhered to the 10:1 ratio rule the past several years since my operation expanded (do as I say, not as I do, and all that). I have maybe 8 cockerels out with 20 hens in my bantam coop and probably another 12 with my 30-40 hens in the big coop. Now I can balance this mainly because anyone who is enough of a pest to make me adhere to the 10:1 rule gets eaten or sent to the bachelor pad.

They don't seem to mind being housed together during the night. They're mostly sleeping during that time anyways. It's during the day time they require space. My pens are 4,000 sq. ft. and 20x10 respectively, as well as a 8x15 bachelor pad (with a 2x8 indoor area).

You'll have to either separate or eat/rehome the some or all of the boys. If you're attached to them or want to grow them out you might consider building a small bachelor pad coop. It doesn't hurt to have second coop/run on hand for situations like this. I've thrown bachelor pad coops together pretty easily in the past, since they don't have to pretty and as long as they are "generally secure" I'm happy with them. But once they begin trying to mate at least three and preferable four need to be removed from accessing the hens lest they damage or disturb them.

Honestly I'd have to politely disagree with some advice here - I think that having a flock rooster is just fine for a beginner as long as they are fully aware and informed. Whenever getting a rooster you need to consider that it could be a brat. If it goes after you or the hens, it needs to be sent to freezer camp. No one should ever keep a rooster that is detrimental to the flock by harassing owners and attacking hens. However, if you get a good rooster, you will love him. I guarantee it. I have many boys who are good with me, gentle with the hens, and a joy to be around. Now, it is indeed possible that even with a good tempered, polite cockerel you might see feather loss in some of the hens, given a ratio as low as 5:1. This may or may not occur depending on the cockerel. I have some boys who can be housed with as few as 2-4 ladies with no ill effects. If there is feather damage, as long as the hens aren't acting stressed, hen saddles can be purchased and your flock will be happy as can be.

 

[flocking nuts]

If they're June 1st hatches, I'd bet you're about right on with 3:4 cockerels to pullets.

All my boys sleep in the same coops at night. Except Clay who needs to be kept separate (he's an ex gamecock). Of the 30+ about 8 are in a bachelor pad. The rest are split between my 16x16 standard coop and my 4x6 bantam coop. All groups except the bachelor pad include hens. That said, I personally haven't adhered to the 10:1 ratio rule the past several years since my operation expanded (do as I say, not as I do, and all that). I have maybe 8 cockerels out with 20 hens in my bantam coop and probably another 12 with my 30-40 hens in the big coop. Now I can balance this mainly because anyone who is enough of a pest to make me adhere to the 10:1 rule gets eaten or sent to the bachelor pad.

They don't seem to mind being housed together during the night. They're mostly sleeping during that time anyways. It's during the day time they require space. My pens are 4,000 sq. ft. and 20x10 respectively, as well as a 8x15 bachelor pad (with a 2x8 indoor area).

You'll have to either separate or eat/rehome the some or all of the boys. If you're attached to them or want to grow them out you might consider building a small bachelor pad coop. It doesn't hurt to have second coop/run on hand for situations like this. I've thrown bachelor pad coops together pretty easily in the past, since they don't have to pretty and as long as they are "generally secure" I'm happy with them. But once they begin trying to mate at least three and preferable four need to be removed from accessing the hens lest they damage or disturb them.

Honestly I'd have to politely disagree with some advice here - I think that having a flock rooster is just fine for a beginner as long as they are fully aware and informed. Whenever getting a rooster you need to consider that it could be a brat. If it goes after you or the hens, it needs to be sent to freezer camp. No one should ever keep a rooster that is detrimental to the flock by harassing owners and attacking hens. However, if you get a good rooster, you will love him. I guarantee it. I have many boys who are good with me, gentle with the hens, and a joy to be around. Now, it is indeed possible that even with a good tempered, polite cockerel you might see feather loss in some of the hens, given a ratio as low as 5:1. This may or may not occur depending on the cockerel. I have some boys who can be housed with as few as 2-4 ladies with no ill effects. If there is feather damage, as long as the hens aren't acting stressed, hen saddles can be purchased and your flock will be happy as can be.

Let me start by saying although he is causing a bit of a stink with the orphans sometimes, our black astrolorp BA? cockrel, Goose, is great! Not quite as cuddly as the 2 BA pullets we have, but very friendly and tolerates my almost 4 y/o daughter well.

We live on a 1/4 acre surrounded by avocado groves on 3 sides, and a crop field (unsure what will be planted there) our yard has a lot of fruit trees, so we have foraging space, but less space for coops. I dont want to crowd them and have them venture out of the yard

 

[junebuggena]

Keep in mind, your boys are still very, very young and the hormones haven't hit them yet. How they are in another couple of months may be very different.

 

[flocking nuts]

This morning on the way to preschool i told my daughter Mal is a boy, so we either have to find a new home for him or let him get bigger and eat him. She said a new home. I went by the feed store, and she offered to exchange him and find a new home for him. While tempting because i do really love our light brama, and it would be cool to have another, i think we have too many already. Plus i dont think having a baby chick alone would be fair, then that starts a whole new mess.
Today when my bf gets home we'll talk, and Mal might be going to the feed store tomorrow. Im going to post flyers there for the orphan cockerels, because they are pretty, and someones gotta want them.

If we rehome all the orphan males too (hopefully only 3) then we'll have 9 pullets and 1 cockrel.

 

[Kev]

As for multiple roosters, as a general statement it can be true about them coexisting pretty well.

However, your orphan chick's mother is a game chicken. Game roosters were bred to be highly intolerant of other roosters.. even if raised together, the chance of them suddenly up and fighting very hard is rather high(and in close confines this can get very ugly).... in your case, probably best to pick only one or not keep any of the current cockerels and get a cockerel/roo of your liking elsewhere or even another time down the road.

p.s. I agree with seeing a fair number of cockerels in the orphans. one more option maybe keep the "domestic" hens confined and the orphans loose, and let them be "wild chickens handling their own thing".

 

[flocking nuts]

As for multiple roosters, as a general statement it can be true about them coexisting pretty well.

However, your orphan chick's mother is a game chicken. Game roosters were bred to be highly intolerant of other roosters.. even if raised together, the chance of them suddenly up and fighting very hard is rather high(and in close confines this can get very ugly)....  in your case, probably best to pick only one or not keep any of the current cockerels and get a cockerel/roo of your liking elsewhere or even another time down the road.  

p.s. I agree with seeing a fair number of cockerels in the orphans. one more option maybe keep the "domestic" hens confined and the orphans loose, and let them be "wild chickens handling their own thing".

Our flock loves to forage under the fruit trees for fallen fruit,to pick through the compost and flower beds for bugs, and be a silly bunch of chickens all over the yard. I cant see keeping them confined