Number of roosters in flock.

[Iluveggers]

@KM2H where do you live (in general) thatthere aren’t blue/green layers available?

 

[KM2H]

@KM2H where do you live (in general) thatthere aren’t blue/green layers available?

I'm in chuluota FL, maybe I have not been looking very actively but what has presented itself to me is red and black sexlinked, etc. In comparison there are more baby chicks available for which at the moment my time is limited. I have also only been living at our property for a year so still getting to know my surroundings.

 

[Iluveggers]

I'm in chuluota FL, maybe I have not been looking very actively but what has presented itself to me is red and black sexlinked, etc. In comparison there are more baby chicks available for which at the moment my time is limited. I have also only been living at our property for a year so still getting to know my surroundings.

I gotcha! Maybe you’ll get a broody…Meyer Hatchery has Easter Egger, Olive Egger and cream legbar hatching eggs & chicks.Your broody would raise the chicks for you!

 

[NatJ]

I'm in chuluota FL, maybe I have not been looking very actively but what has presented itself to me is red and black sexlinked, etc. In comparison there are more baby chicks available for which at the moment my time is limited. I have also only been living at our property for a year so still getting to know my surroundings.

If it was me, I would wait until there is enough time for chick-raising (or a broody hen who wants the job), then buy female chicks that are supposed to lay colored eggs when they grow up.

That would get you colored eggs at least as soon as buying a young rooster, letting him grow up, and then hatching your own.

 

[3KillerBs]

Haha... there is no hope for the poor hens, lol. Other than just having one rooster.

And that is ignoring the likelihood that roosters will fight.

 

[KM2H]

And that is ignoring the likelihood that roosters will fight.

True!

 

[KM2H]

If it was me, I would wait until there is enough time for chick-raising (or a broody hen who wants the job), then buy female chicks that are supposed to lay colored eggs when they grow up.

That would get you colored eggs at least as soon as buying a young rooster, letting him grow up, and then hatching your own.

Yes, I dream of the day one of my hens go broody.

 

[miss_shickenchit]

That age might work out. My males all grow up with the flock, so they learn their place early on. But he's still kind of a baby at that age.

17 hens may or may not be too few. I have less than that with my 3 boys, but one male doesn't breed with them at all and the other male rarely does, so its mainly just my FlockMaster breeding all of them

this is the first I’ve heard of 3 roos getting on ok - everywhere else I read about it it’s a disaster waiting to happen. mind sharing what birds you have and your flock set up? so curious!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

this is the first I’ve heard of 3 roos getting on ok - everywhere else I read about it it’s a disaster waiting to happen. mind sharing what birds you have and your flock set up? so curious!

My flock set up would probably make other people faint tbh. The run and coop are likely not in accordance with the preferred measurements (I'll have to get proper measurements for the run later), but they also free range daily when I'm home and not having someone watch them for me [They stay penned when they're being watched and they still have done okay the past week this year with this flock]

Currently I have:
Males:
Cochin bantam/Ameraucana standard (7-8 years old, head male and father of mixes under 7 years old)
EE mix (1 year old, son of the above male, raised by a broody in the flock)
White Orpington (1, raised artificially, ran with flock from 4 to 8 or 10 weeks, then separated, then slowly over the course of several months re introduced (from 24 weeks to 11(?) Months). Hes still pretty much an outcast that basically has one girl at night and is tolerated as long as he doesn't breed anyone in the sight or the hens don't protest.

Females:
2 spitzhaubens (3-4 years)
1 EE (7-9 years)
1 white leghorn/Ameraucana mix (7-8 years)
1 pheonix mix (1 year old, raised by broody)
1 Spitzhauben mix (1 year)
1 Asian black (1 year)
2 Mystic Onyx (1 year)
2 Mystic Onyx (4 months, trouble makers)

Coop is 4x8 (I think), but pop door is open to provide access to run 24/7/365 so that in nicer (meaning horny springtime) weather, males have the option to sleep outside in the run if they want.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My flock set up would probably make other people faint tbh. The run and coop are likely not in accordance with the preferred measurements (I'll have to get proper measurements for the run later), but they also free range daily when I'm home and not having someone watch them for me [They stay penned when they're being watched and they still have done okay the past week this year with this flock]

Currently I have:
Males:
Cochin bantam/Ameraucana standard (7-8 years old, head male and father of mixes under 7 years old)
EE mix (1 year old, son of the above male, raised by a broody in the flock)
White Orpington (1, raised artificially, ran with flock from 4 to 8 or 10 weeks, then separated, then slowly over the course of several months re introduced (from 24 weeks to 11(?) Months). Hes still pretty much an outcast that basically has one girl at night and is tolerated as long as he doesn't breed anyone in the sight or the hens don't protest.

Females:
2 spitzhaubens (3-4 years)
1 EE (7-9 years)
1 white leghorn/Ameraucana mix (7-8 years)
1 pheonix mix (1 year old, raised by broody)
1 Spitzhauben mix (1 year)
1 Asian black (1 year)
2 Mystic Onyx (1 year)
2 Mystic Onyx (4 months, trouble makers)

Coop is 4x8 (I think), but pop door is open to provide access to run 24/7/365 so that in nicer (meaning horny springtime) weather, males have the option to sleep outside in the run if they want.

This all being said, the pheonix male I used to have did not get along with other males in the flock that were lower than him like my other two did. He whooped my orpington a good handful of times before I made the choice that I would rather keep the orpington than the pheonix.

I think it all comes down to having calm, good natured males. My flock master is a very nice rooster to people and his flock. As long as other males (the EE mix is being trained more by him though I think) don't attack the females, he tolerates them pretty well usually.