Questions about roosters in the flock

[chickc]

Hey BYC! I used to be semi active on this forum a few years ago but I decided to make a new account and start fresh.

My new flock is 10 5-week old Barred Rocks, and 2 of them were wrongly sexed and are roos. I know absolutely nothing about keeping roosters, but I want to try to make it work.

I want to know if there is a way to keep my roosters with my laying hens without them fertilizing eggs. If there’s no way for the eggs to stay infertile, I’m going to have to either give the roos away or if I can’t find anybody to give them to, dispatch them.

Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Hey BYC! I used to be semi active on this forum a few years ago but I decided to make a new account and start fresh.

My new flock is 10 5-week old Barred Rocks, and 2 of them were wrongly sexed and are roos. I know absolutely nothing about keeping roosters, but I want to try to make it work.

I want to know if there is a way to keep my roosters with my laying hens without them fertilizing eggs. If there’s no way for the eggs to stay infertile, I’m going to have to either give the roos away or if I can’t find anybody to give them to, dispatch them.

Thank you!

What's wrong with fertile eggs?

 

[chickc]

What's wrong with fertile eggs?

I’d like to try to avoid hatching chicks

 

[Eggstatic ChickyDoo]

Just keep the hens from brooding, then. Until they start incubating the chicks won't start to develop and can be used just like regular eggs.

 

[sourland]

I’d like to try to avoid hatching chicks

Eggs won't hatch unless they are incubated. Just collect them daily.

 

[chickc]

Eggs won't hatch unless they are incubated. Just collect them daily.

Just keep the hens from brooding, then. Until they start incubating the chicks won't start to develop and can be used just like regular eggs.

thank you so much haha

 

[3KillerBs]

2 roosters with only 8 hens is not likely to be a successful situation.

Though the "1 rooster for 10 hens" is the least rule-like of the usual guidelines, and some people manage to keep pairs and trios successfully, the most likely outcome of that situation would be roosters fighting and hens over-mated.

You should probably plan on choosing one rooster and getting rid of the other. There is a lot of information here on BYC about how to choose a good flock rooster.

 

[chickc]

2 roosters with only 8 hens is not likely to be a successful situation.

Though the "1 rooster for 10 hens" is the least rule-like of the usual guidelines, and some people manage to keep pairs and trios successfully, the most likely outcome of that situation would be roosters fighting and hens over-mated.

You should probably plan on choosing one rooster and getting rid of the other. There is a lot of information here on BYC about how to choose a good flock rooster.

We have 5 other older hens that we will incorporate with the new flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I want to know if there is a way to keep my roosters with my laying hens without them fertilizing eggs.

No, not if they live together.

I’d like to try to avoid hatching chicks

As the said, don't incubate them. They won't develop.

I know absolutely nothing about keeping roosters, but I want to try to make it work.

Why do you want to keep them? What are your goals with those boys? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs, which you don't. Everything else is personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preferences, I have a few myself. Sometimes it is easier to find solutions if we know why. Like why didn't you want fertile eggs.

You can have different problems with roosters. That does not mean you will, but that you can. Two roosters may fight to the death over the girls, or to serous injury. That does not always happen, sometimes they get along great with each other. You never know how it will turn out until it happens, or doesn't.

One or both may become human aggressive. All of them don't do that but some do. They may try to injure you by serious pecking (maybe at your eyes), scratching you with their claws, or if they are old enough to have spurs they may try to cut you with them. Or maybe they leave you alone but go after your kids, spouse, or strangers. I keep roosters and it is usually not a problem but if I think one is a danger to my grandkids that rooster is dead. No tolerance.

Whether you have 2 hens for every rooster or 20 hens for every rooster, sometimes some girls can be overmated to the point they are so stressed out that they avoid the flock. Or they may lose enough feathers in certain spots that their skin can be dangerously cut. This does not happen all the time, otherwise chickens would be extinct.

Those older hens may beat up on the boys when the boys hit puberty. Or the boys may be rough on the older hens. Or they may all get along great. You just never know.

You may have no issues with those boys. Having lots of room and them growing up with each other and with the flock may help with that. But I would have a plan ready so if I needed to separate one boy from the other or both boys from the flock I could do that on a moments notice. You just don't know what will happen but it can happen fast.

Good luck!

 

[neo71665]

Still not enough girls to keep the roos from fighting