Probably ended up with 4 roos to 1 hen, what do I do?

[Aloeverasaurus]

They’re about 5 weeks old now, maybe 6, and they’re all Icelandic chickens. I’m incredibly worries I ended up 4 roosters, and I’m completely at a loss for what I can do about it. I know that most probable answer is to either give away most of the roosters and get more hens, or just straight up get a lot more hens, but I don’t want to mess up the Icelandic genetics I have going on and I’m pretty sure the guy I got them from won’t happen to have an surplus of them. I guess I’m asking a possible option I haven’t considered, or reassurance that I only have a roo or 2, instead of 4.

Anyone have personal experience like this? What did you do?

 

[nuthatched]

If more birds aren't a good option, sell them or eat them.
A bachelor pad might be an option but they're very hit and miss for success.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

When will the breeder have more (eggs, chicks, pullets) for sale again? Can you wait until then?

Meanwhile, maybe you can find an Icelandic fancier group or club where you might find takers for your guys. https://www.facebook.com/groups/icelandicchickens/

 

[Folly's place]

There's no way you can keep these cockerels with one pullet, and having enough hens for four roosters is just not where to start here. There's no way to know if any of these cockerels will turn out well, best to move some or all of them on as soon as you can. Or eat them.
They are pretty cute, sorry.
Mary

 

[Aloeverasaurus]

When will the breeder have more (eggs, chicks, pullets) for sale again? Can you wait until then?

Meanwhile, maybe you can find an Icelandic fancier group or club where you might find takers for your guys. https://www.facebook.com/groups/icelandicchickens/

I’ve messaged the breeder to ask if he has any pullets he might be willing to sell and if he’s also willing to take some cockerels, but I messaged him pretty late, so I probably won’t hear back until tomorrow

Worst case, I find some pullets of another breed and put up a flier advertising 3 cockerels for sale (I’ve unfortunately grown really attached to one)

 

[Mrs. K]

What a wreck. Ok, what I think you need to do is work into this. Eliminate all but one rooster, add pullets of a different breed that you can readily get, that lay a different color of egg. Then when you begin to hatch, only hatch the Iceland eggs. It will be a bit slower, but not a lot.

If you are planning on hatching a lot, you need to be comfortable with culling birds, as time passes cull the other breeds and only keep the Iceland.

Mrs K

 

[Aloeverasaurus]

What a wreck. Ok, what I think you need to do is work into this. Eliminate all but one rooster, add pullets of a different breed that you can readily get, that lay a different color of egg. Then when you begin to hatch, only hatch the Iceland eggs. It will be a bit slower, but not a lot.

If you are planning on hatching a lot, you need to be comfortable with culling birds, as time passes cull the other breeds and only keep the Iceland.

Mrs K

This is exactly what I needed to hear. I was trying to think of a way to get more Icelandics while only having two, but obviously it can’t just be the two of them, like everyone says. I’m working on finding pullets around, and thankfully I’ve found plenty, I’ve just need to make the several hour long drive, lol