roo to hen ratio

[ali]

looks,so far, like i have 3 roos. how many hens should i have to keep the peace?

 

[Heidi]

What I read was 10 hens per roo - I read it in the Meyers Hatchery Chicken Catalog. So if you have 3 roo's - got 30 hens?

 

[ali]

that's alot!!! i guess some iny miny miney moes in order . i'm in love with all three of them but i know i don't have room foe 30 more hens

 

[Fancy Feather Poultry]

I read 1 roo for each 4 hens.

 

[Buckguy20]

Quote:
Ten hens is about right but I have had 15 to 20 hens with a roo and had no fertility problems. Four Hens per roo would be Ok if that is all the hens you have but he could handle three times that without any trouble. Monty

 

[ali]

4 hens i can prolly do, but 10, that's alot.

 

[silkiechicken]

You want 8-12 hens per roo. I had as low as 8 for my roo once... and his favorite girls got bare backs due to over mating...

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
If you are keeping them all in one pen, you might have to get rid of one of your roo's if not two. When they get older and if they don't have lots of free range space, they will fight. I at most can keep two adult roo's per night coop. I have three night coops and only 2 adult roos total at the moment. Even if you got 4 hens per roo, with 12 hens total, you'll still have two beat up roo's and the top one will clame all 12. 4 isn't enough.

 

[ali]

OK BUMMER

 

[JackieK318]

Sicily has 9 hens and three guineahens and Splash has none (at the moment). I'm hoping the 7 in the brooder will be his girls. The top roo will take all the ladies he wants and pick on the under-roos. Splash's comb was pretty bloody the other day when I came home. The two roos were getting along fine for several weeks before, then Splash must have moved in on the women.

I've heard 6 - 8 hens per roo, but they'll always take more than the ratio. What can ya say? They're hormone driven and can't count!