Questions about Roo to hen ratio.

[Gaettberry]

I thought when I ordered my chicks from a hatchery I’d get what I asked for but I got 3 Roos and 9 hens(chicks) I have 5 more hens outside would a 14 hen to 3 roo ratio be fine in the long run? I’m kind of already attached to all the chicks and they’re all very sweet. Don’t want to have to rehome.

 

[DemeterAD9]

They won’t stay nice and sweet for long, 3 roos is just too many for so few hens. If the boys don’t fight then they will end up overbreeding the hens and stressing them out. I suggest you wait till they start acting up (likely around 15 weeks or so) then decide who stays and who goes.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I go no less than 9 to one or above. nine can get beat up pretty good by 1 aggressive roo.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I thought when I ordered my chicks from a hatchery I’d get what I asked for but I got 3 Roos and 9 hens(chicks)

If you order vent-sexed chicks the odds are about 90% that they will get it right. That's for each chick as an individual. Usually with 12 chicks you'd expect one boy but the odds of getting three aren't that bad. So, yeah, some bad luck.

would a 14 hen to 3 roo ratio be fine in the long run?

I'm not one to blindly follow ratios. Each chick, male and female, has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamic. That kind of ratio works for some people. The more room the better. If you have enough room that each boy can set up his own territory out of sight of the others you have a decent chance of success. Some people even make it work with less room but the tighter it is the less likely you are of success. With living animals you don't get guarantees either way.

I’m kind of already attached to all the chicks and they’re all very sweet. Don’t want to have to rehome.

I assume you also do not want to eat any of them. That is pretty common in here. So what are your choices if you want to keep all three boys?

Try it and see what happens. You really don't get guarantees. Even if you do not have a lot of room you have a chance but the odds are against you.

Build a bachelor pad. Build a coop and run where you keep two or all three boys isolated from the girls. If there are no girls to fight over they usually don't fight that much. They will know which one is the dominant one and may skirmish occasionally but many people on here keep bachelor pads and it is often pretty peaceful.

Another option is to build three coops and runs. Split your flock up with each boy having his own hens. The people that believe in magic ratios will tell you that this will not work but plenty of people keep one boy with just a few hens without issues. I sometimes have one rooster with 6 hens. These hens are not barebacked or over-mated. From what I've seen you can have problems or success with ratios of 1 boy to 2 girls or 1 boy and over 20 hens.

When they hit puberty is your most dangerous time. Hormones are controlling the boys so they are ready to fight and ready to mate the pullets, usually against their will. It can get really rough when puberty strikes. So build your bachelor pad now so it is ready. When you need it is too late to start building.

This should be obvious. Don't hatch any eggs if you are not willing to eat the boys or get rid of them. The odds of each egg hatching a boy is 50-50 so you'll soon have a lot more boys to deal with.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well they are in the darling stage. Cockerels are the most outgoing and darling of the chicks. Enjoy that. It doesn't last.

A LOT depends on your set up, and what looks like a lot of room right now with chicks, often times becomes not enough room when they are adults. Overcrowding causes a lot of very ugly behaviors in chickens.

Do know:

• being raised together does not influence adult behavior
• letting them out occasionally to 'free range' does not make up for a too small coop or run.
• the more roosters you have, the more chance it can go wrong, really wrong.

Ridgerunner has very good advice (always does), make some plans - have them ready to go before you have problems.

If you have a real backyard set up, not a farm set up. I would not expect this to work in the long run. If you have young children under the age of 6, especially if they share the back yard with them, I would not expect this to work, and it can be dangerous - cockerels tend to attack children first - at about the head or shoulders.

Mrs K

 

[UncleDougsChickens]

Yikes, did you order straight run of sexed? 3 roosters out of 12 sounds really unlucky if you bought sexed. Not gonna lie I would expect at least 1, even though it should be 0. You could always wait and see if 1 of them is friendly? Its hard to tell early because they can go from nice to mean but maybe you'll get lucky and can give the other 2 away?

 

[Perris]

I thought when I ordered my chicks from a hatchery I’d get what I asked for but I got 3 Roos and 9 hens(chicks) I have 5 more hens outside would a 14 hen to 3 roo ratio be fine in the long run? I’m kind of already attached to all the chicks and they’re all very sweet. Don’t want to have to rehome.

There are 8 hens and 3 roos in this picture, taken yesterday, all relaxed, preening and dustbathing happily together.

If you do not confine your chickens, a ratio like yours can work just fine.