One Rooster / Three Hens

[littlep]

Hi.

I ordered four BO pullets from a hatchery and ended up with one roo. They are all 25 weeks old and the pullets started laying last week. The roo has also started mating. I'm worried that with only three hens that he will over-mate them. What do you think? They have a 6x6 coop and a 8x16 covered run and I free range them when I am home and the weather is ok.

Can this work or am I going to have to either do something with the roo or get more chickens (and hope I don't end up with another roo)? The pullets don't seem afraid of him and he does protect them.

Thanks.

 

[happyhens44]

I'd think either get rid of the roo or more hens, You might be able to go on Craigslist and find some older "for sure hens" so you dont end up with any roo's. But Im not possitive on the mating thing Id say atleast 6 hens for one roo (but I cant be possitive)

 

[ella1989]

hi on the same sort of subject i was thinking about getting a pekin cockerel and 4 hens would that be ok??

 

[happyhens44]

Well To tell the true Ive never had My ducks or chickens over mated, this might not help but I had 2 big male pekins with my mallard hen and she did fine. I got rid of the males 3 days ago though because I wanted pure bred babies this spring not mallard x pekin

I havent experienced a hen getting over mated, I have 1 roo and 12 hens. And I my broodies hatched 4 chicks now I have 12+ eggs comming in the mail. So with the 4 chicks I have now (1 looks like it could be a roo) so that would leave me A total (guess) 15 hens 2 roosters. And with my eggs comming in the mail if all hatch (with wont happen :-| ) that would be 6 hens 6 roos. Which I would only keep 1 from that hatch so im total Id average at 21 hens 3 roos so the total of my hens to roos would be : 7 hens pur A roo. *remember thats me averaging my flock, (the unhatched could be more male them female or more female when male i dont know )


I go on ebay and look at online eggs for male and there people who post " I have 4 roo's and 9 hens ) extra.

Theres signs of a hen being over mate, by like some of her neck feathers missing. or the roo being to ruff with the hens... Id look for them kind os signs and if you see them then id seperate the look (either get more hen before adding him back to the flock) or red rid of him

 

[ella1989]

aww thankyou very much that was really helpful and were your pekin cockerels freindly and how loud were they??

 

[happyhens44]

they where ducks

thats why i said it might not help

but i am sure it does makes a big difference ummm well they where friendly but people shy. they where not friendy towar my other MALE hahah.

it where on the same subject of ducks. they were not loud at all because there rasping, not quaking

 

[MaineChick]

I think you'll have to wait and see. It depends on the individuals and the flock dynamics. I've had one roo for almost 2 years that is a perfect gentleman, very good with the girls, not rough with mating, and he woos them and protects them wonderfully well. There have been between 3 and 11 hens at various times, and other roos have come and gone.

Some of the roos hit the stewpot pretty early on as they were out and out raping young pullets that I don't think were mature enough yet. Some were ok, only nailing the willing hens. The only time I had trouble with my main roo was when there were only 3 hens - and he decided one was his dream girl #1 favorite lady. He was after her all the time and she ended up missing a fair amount of feathers on her back. I bought a saddle from lovemychix on the everything else for sale page here, and she was fine. Once the young pullets got old enough, he started sharing the wealth more and I was able to remove it.

I think if he had not fallen in love with that one hen, 3 might have been fine for him.

But you should have seen that hen preening in front of the others because she had clothes and they didn't!

 

[Pinky]

If your rooster is aggressive when he mounts your hens I would either get rid of him or get more hens so your three hens won't be over mated. If he is not aggressive, then I wouldn't worry too much because spring is nearly here and you will probably have a hen that wants to go broody.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

The golden rule is at LEAST 8 hens to 1 rooster.

That said, I had one rooster to three hens when I first got my rooster. Not ALL roosters are sex maniacs. Not all roosters are created equal. They each behave differently.
You can tell if your hens are getting over mated if they are loosing (as in going bald) their neck feathers or tail feathers. HOWEVER, even with more hens, this can happen. Roosters are rough. That's just how things are. If your hens aren't losing major feathers, or behaving differently (stressed out) then it is probably safe to assume things are fine. If you need to be sure that you get hens from here on out, get laying hens or pullets that are past the iffy stage.

 

[littlep]

Thanks! I will keep an eye on the behavior and appearance of the girls and how the roo treats them and go from there.