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Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

@triciayoung is right about a lot of people giving up too soon on their roosters. Sometimes I've penned mine up for a month, even longer. If they're satanic and drawing blood, well, there's another story. You'll figure it out or just ask for advice if that time ever comes.

You'll probably want to only have 1 for every 5-7 hens though, even though I'm running breeding pens way lower ratio than that. The hens will eventually suffer at lower ratios.
 
xraygurl06 said:
Hello everyone! I just bought 6 Blue Jersey Giants and 10 Rhode Island Reds from a breeder-straight run. I have some experience with chickens, but not with a large breed. I had barred rocks, easter eggers, and comets before. I enjoy the therapy of going and feeding/watering and cleaning the brooder. I have only had the chicks since yesterday, and all seem happy and content. I only work part time, so it gives me more time to devote to my new flock. I have never had a rooster, and do not know how many I have currently, but I am looking forward to see how they get along with each other and myself! Thank you for letting me join! I am looking forward to having a healthy, happy flock.
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welcome to BYC!!!! :welcome 🎉🥳🎉:welcome
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

xraygurl06 said:
I have never had a rooster, and do not know how many I have currently
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Statistically, you've got 8. That's a lot.
xraygurl06 said:
I am looking forward to having some to see what that is like.
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It will not be fun. Cockerels sexually mature faster than the pullets and they will wreak havoc on the girls when this happens if they are not penned separately from them.
xraygurl06 said:
I have an 8x8 and a 9x13 run that are put together.
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This is not enough space for 16 birds but hopefully you will end up with only 9 or 10.
triciayoung said:
But don't, because they will get sweet again
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They don't always. They go through their hormonal flush and become terrors. With this many young cockerels growing up without adults to keep them in line, I predict an awful lot of stress for the OP but much more for the pullets.

I would, right now, prepare a proper coop/run enclosure for the boys as they start to show themselves, toss them in. They will also start fighting amongst themselves once they reach sexual maturity.
Even if by some miracle of nature they all got along, the pullets would be stripped bare of their back and head feathers from overmating.

You will ultimately want to keep just one, possibly two of the best cockerels for your flock. But be warned that even once they establish who's who in the dominance department, sooner or later the subordinate male will go for the title and you get the unpleasant task of cleaning up the bloody male that lost round one. I never permit it to get to round 2. The subordinate is sent on to be the flock leader elsewhere. My senior rooster has run my flock for coming on 7 years now and it will remain his until his death from old age. The only way a cockerel gets to stay in my flock is if he never goes for the golden crown.
 
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