Number of roosters per hen?

[cgriff22]

I have read that it is recommended to have 10 hens per rooster ... Is that a must? I have 5 chickens (I know 3 are hens, 1 I just learned is a rooster, and the last is yet to be discovered). They are all under 6 months old right now too (I've read that the rooster issue becomes more of a problem after it's a year old too)... Do I have to get rid of my rooster?

 

[Amina]

Every rooster is different. Needing ten hens to have a good flock dynamic is pretty typical, but some need more and some need less. Right now I have a rooster and only two hens (getting more hens soon) and much to my surprise, it seems to be working out. My hens don't have any feather damage or anything. He is very gentle with them. I was under the impression that roosters calm down as they age and get past the "teenage" stage, but I can't comment from experience because my rooster is less than a year old.

I say if you want a rooster, then keep him until he gives you a reason not to. If you can get more hens, that will give you a better chance of it working.

 

[aart]

Every rooster is different. Needing ten hens to have a good flock dynamic is pretty typical, but some need more and some need less. Right now I have a rooster and only two hens (getting more hens soon) and much to my surprise, it seems to be working out. My hens don't have any feather damage or anything. He is very gentle with them. I was under the impression that roosters calm down as they age and get past the "teenage" stage, but I can't comment from experience because my rooster is less than a year old.

I say if you want a rooster, then keep him until he gives you a reason not to. If you can get more hens, that will give you a better chance of it working.

Great advice^^^!

The 10:1 thing comes from commercial enterprises and is aimed towards fertility numbers rather than flock harmony.