New chicks and ducklings

If you want to have some pure bred chicks, you would need to match hen & rooster of the same breed. If you just want to have chicks period - rooster breed doesn't matter but with any rooster, temperament is very important. You wouldn't want to raise up human/chicken aggressive chicks.

Bad roosters can be very aggressive to people and especially damaging to children as they are smaller and easily in range of beak & claws.
 
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Updates for 2020 with us here in my 2020 flock life thread



https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/2020-flock-life.1351080/

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It’s nice to meet you!
 
Still can't figure out what breed of rooster. With 40 chicks I need 4 roosters correct? Should I get different breeds?
Why do you want roosters? You don't need them.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE roosters! But they can be a real handful and if you want more than one, there are ways you will need to introduce them. If you've never kept a rooster before I would wait.
Wait until your pullets are fully grown and laying eggs. Then get ONE rooster that has been raised by chickens in a multi-generational flock. A rooster that has proven he is gentle with the hens, that he alerts appropriately, that he is not human aggressive.
Then if you decide you like him and want another, allow one of your hens to set eggs if she goes broody and raise the chicks in the flock. Choose one or more of his sons to be junior cockerels for your flock. It is a rewarding experience. But make no mistake, male chickens are hardwired quite differently than female chickens.
 
Why do you want roosters? You don't need them.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE roosters! But they can be a real handful and if you want more than one, there are ways you will need to introduce them. If you've never kept a rooster before I would wait.
Wait until your pullets are fully grown and laying eggs. Then get ONE rooster that has been raised by chickens in a multi-generational flock. A rooster that has proven he is gentle with the hens, that he alerts appropriately, that he is not human aggressive.
Then if you decide you like him and want another, allow one of your hens to set eggs if she goes broody and raise the chicks in the flock. Choose one or more of his sons to be junior cockerels for your flock. It is a rewarding experience. But make no mistake, male chickens are hardwired quite differently than female chickens.
I raised my roosters chicks with the others. Then decided which ones to keep. Online information states one rooster per 10 hens. They will gather their own hens and move as one? So if that's true I'll have to buy 4 roosters. Its slim pickings out this way so may have to order online or buy from private party.
 
I raised my roosters chicks with the others. Then decided which ones to keep. Online information states one rooster per 10 hens. They will gather their own hens and move as one? So if that's true I'll have to buy 4 roosters. Its slim pickings out this way so may have to order online or buy from private party.
No.
The hen to rooster ratio of 10 to 1 is for breeding fertility. And the girls pick the boys. And it isn't like picking Dodge Ball teams. If one guy is preferred, he'll get most of the ladies.
I have a flock of 27 total birds with two roosters. The senior rooster is preferred by about 22 of the hens. Junior Mint still takes what he can but they don't come willingly and there are consequences for his actions if Big Daddy is close by.
 

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