Please help, 18 weeks buff orpingtons and a barred rock, He or she????

[jlborello]

Please help I think four out of my six chickens are Roos. One of my RIRs started crowing yesterday. Do you think these three are Roos too????

 

[Cheyen]

Just because one of them is crowing, doesn't mean they're all roos. Snap a few pictures of them, and maybe someone can help you.

 

[sourland]

Sorry - both Buff Orpingtons are cockerels, and 95% certain that the Barred Rock is also a cockerel.

 

[Cheyen]

Looks like they're all roos to me, too. Orpington hens have fat, fluffy bottoms... not long flowing tails.

Although.. you may have a slight chance of that barred rock being a pullet. Maybe.

 

[jlborello]

Wow, the guy I got them from said he is 90% accurate.... Lol guess he should say he is 90% wrong!!! So if 4 out of 6 chickens are Roos, how many rooster are safe to keep? Should I regime 3 and just keep 1, or could I keep 2?? When should I plan on rehousing them, what age??Any thoughts??

 

[jlborello]

* I meant rehome! not regime...lol

 

[Katt66]

Depends on your setup. How much room do you have? Do they free range? Do you have somewhere to house them all together with no hens around or all separately?

My aunt has a bunch of roosters. But they either live singly with groups of hens, or cruise around the property free to come and go and stake out their own areas and stay out of each others' way when need be.

 

[Cheyen]

Four roos to two hens is not a good idea, as all that breeding can overwhelm the poor gals. You can either get some more hens, or just keep one. I have five roos that get along great since they were raised together, but they share way more hens than just two.

 

[jlborello]

I have coop with a run attatched. I let them out to free range for a few hours a day. But they are all locked up together most of the day and at night? It's a decent size coop and run. Not tiny, not huge. They all get along great for now, no fighting. They have been together since they hatched. 18 weeks ago.

 

[Cheyen]

Even if there's no fighting, you have to take your hens' well being into account. When a rooster mounts a hen, she's at risk of having feathers torn out by his spurs. If enough feathers are torn out, they can end up with ugly, bare backs covered in scabs and scratches (which can lead to some pretty nasty infections).

That's just with one rooster... a rooster will mount a hen several times a day. If one hen ends up being a favorite, can you imagine that times four? The only way I can see you getting around that problem without getting rid of any roos or getting more hens, would be to purchase some sturdy saddles for your two girls.