Not enough hens for a rooster...concerned

[Specialk1979]

We bought 5 pullets, one turned out to be a rooster. We don't mind keeping him as we free range and we like the extra protection. We intend on letting a hen hatch a few eggs (3-4) to get the ratio up. The problem is the flock is only 13 weeks old and I'm guessing a hen won't hatch a batch until next spring?? I'm afraid the roo will be too much for the 4 hens in the meantime..what should we do?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Can you separate out the roo if the hens start getting overworked? Do you free range all the time or only when you are home etc?

 

[Specialk1979]

We free range from 5:30 am until they put themselves to bed..around 7-7:30pm. We don't have a second coop to separate. At what age do hens tend to start going broody?

 

[bobbi-j]

Mine have gone broody at about a year old.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... At what age do hens tend to start going broody?

That depends on the strain of hen you have, when she hatched, and her care and feeding. Some hens never go broody or get the urge to hatch chicks. Others want to set so bad that they hardly lay any eggs. Finally some strains of roosters are not as big a ladies man as other strains of roosters.

I guess what I am attempting to say is, "insufficient data, unable to compute, press alter F4 to exit"

 

[Specialk1979]

We have silver laced wyandottes, fed organic feed and forage during the day.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I have a roo in with 3 hens and he looks after them well. Even if your roo- hen ratio is higher most Roos have a favorite hen anyway.

 

[Stiggy]

I always have at least 3 hens to a rooster ( in a breeding pen situation) or free range I have 2 roosters and 16 girls ( the lower rooster only has his way with 4 hens) . It really depends on the space, aggressiveness and sexual drive of the rooster as to how many you need

 

[centrarchid]

We have silver laced wyandottes, fed organic feed and forage during the day.

They will do fine with respect to sex ratio. Once pullets come into lay you may get one to go broody in relatively short order. You birds probably will not come into lay until early winter when days start to warm up. To promote broodiness leave multiple eggs in nest or even place egg dummies in it. You location is not evident but there are additional challenges associated with such early hatch times with respect to season.

 

[Mrs. K]

The broody aspect will depend tremendously on the breed of chickens that you have. I have had several broody hens, and mine have gone broody nearly at the same time of year, which I think that day length has a lot to do with it. My birds have always been 1 + years old.

Some roosters do not do well with the flock. They can become mean to humans and hens. Some are great roosters, and don't cause a problem even with a small amount of hens.

I have not found them much protection until they were over a year old, and some are better than others.

Roosters are a crap shoot, sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you need to cull.

Mrs K