Risk having just 1 rooster if Breeding?

[chfriedmam]

Hi, I’m looking to breed Opal Legbars and 55 Flowery Hens. So I need Opal and 55 Roosters, hens, and some Cream Legbar hens. This is just hobby, small scale.

So, I have 3 Opal roosters homozygous for blue egg gene, and they are not doing well together, definitely couldn’t coexist in a smaller beeding pen. And 1 is nicer: looks and temperament, plus he dances . Is it dumb to just keep ONE? I guess it all comes down to risk, if that one died or otherwise was out of commission I’d be set back a year. Pic is a bit old, he’s matured

How many roosters do you small-scale backyard breeders keep?

 

[Tonyroo]

Keep 2 roosters of the best features and house them separately. You will need a 2nd coop and run. You can focus on one pen for the moment and leave the extra rooster by himself. Or have both pens on a working project. You will always have a backup rooster if the other one dies.

 

[chfriedmam]

Keep 2 roosters of the best features and house them separately. You will need a 2nd coop and run. You can focus on one pen for the moment and leave the extra rooster by himself. Or have both pens on a working project. You will always have a backup rooster if the other one dies.

That’s what I thought, oh well. I could keep #2 with my egg hens, but I’m trying to accommodate my daughter who is freaked out by fertile eggs

 

[Tonyroo]

The other alternative, is keep one rooster with 3 hens. Then hatch a dozen eggs from the pen. You'll end up with a 60/40 ratio of females to males. Then the potential roosters will be your backup and next season progression.

 

[Tonyroo]

Keep in mind, if you want to maintain the opal legbar. You want opal females with the rooster. Just makes it easier on you.

 

[3KillerBs]

How many hens do you have?

How many coops do you have?

If one male was clearly superior to the others and I had less than ~15 hens I'd keep only one, hatch his eggs, and plan to consider keeping his best son as well.

 

[chfriedmam]

Keep in mind, if you want to maintain the opal legbar. You want opal females with the rooster. Just makes it easier on you.

Ya I’ve got Opal pullets also with O/O gene, so I’m looking at at least 3 pens: egg layers, 55s, opals, and I can put a cream legbar in opal pen every once in a while to make splits

 

[Tonyroo]

That's a whole lot of eggs you'll be getting especially having the 55's.

 

[chfriedmam]

We

How many hens do you have?

How many coops do you have?

If one male was clearly superior to the others and I had less than ~15 hens I'd keep only one, hatch his eggs, and plan to consider keeping his best son as well.

ive got 2 coops now, will be setting up a 3rd area. I think I’ll do this. A breeder told me I could start with 1 breeding pair, and it’s true there will be way too many cockerels.

I’ve got 22 hens and the 3 roosters, but I’m only interested in the 3 opal pullets and maybe 1 cream legbar breeding with the Opal rooster. I’d probably reduce the “egg only “ chickens and keep only the good layers

 

[OneHappyDuckie]

How many hens do you have that the rooster would be breeding? I only keep one rooster for my Cochins.