Roos?

[Happy Chooks]

Both boys.

 

[Minniechickmama]

If you have to space, then get more girls. If not, I think the Barred Rocks are your better choice due to my feeling toward temperament of the RIRs. Yes, I am biased, but don't shoot me for it.
You might be able to get by with two, but it depends on the roos, but one is enough for 7.

 

[cthrash1]

Keep the BR I have had them and they are really sweet... My male risked his life to protect the flock(males and females) when two stray dogs had a hayday and went on a killing spree.
As far as the RIR, I've heard more horror stories about their temperament than good ones.

 

[Kukendame]

I really like my BR's they are so sweet. I was thinking about getting some EE's but maybe with a BR rooster I should get more BR pullets to keep the breed clean. Any advice on mixing BR's with EE's.
I cant believe I am discussing breeding! I was just supposed to have chickens for eggs!
But...It would be so fun!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Having a single breed might be nice. The EEs are more for novelty of having the tinted eggs. Mutts can be pretty, but the BRs are definitely good looking birds and have a good temperament and lay nice brown eggs. You can't go wrong there, even if you never hatch any eggs out. All you will need after getting those girls is a good couple of Silkie girls so you will have some good broodies around to hatch those eggs for you

Just sayin'......

 

[Tala]

I had 2 roos and 8 hens for a while. I would NOT recommend it.

One of my roos is a RIR and the other was a half-BR (black sexlink). The RIR is still with us, and the mutt is chillin in the cooler in the back yard.....
Poohey on all you RIR haters

Mine faught off a raccoon for his girls, and sounds the alarm for hawks too. He's not agressive to anybody who is wiling to spend time with the flock (me) but to strangers he is a little over-wary. Doesn't bother me one bit though.

Anyway, what happened was mostly that one roo would jump a hen, and the other one would come charging over, and attack the hen!!! (literally, the 2nd roo would come over and start yanking feathers off the hens' head, or just pecking her for the heck of it, while the other roo was trying to do his thing) or they would try to shove the other rooster off her back.....it was VERY stressful on my hens.

 

[math ace]

IF you are going to have two roos - - you will need to get enough hens for each. Each roo can service 7 -10 hens.

I have a wide variety of hens and 1 roo. The only eggs I will hatch are the ones that are the same breed as the roo. All my breeds lay different color eggs so that I can identify who is working and who is not. If you get EE hens, you will be able to identify their COLOR eggs and just don't hatch their eggs - eat them. Your Roo will have his choice of hens, you get a variety of hens to look at, and if you only hatch the appropriate eggs, you will keep the breed pure and have some chicks to raise or sell.

I have some baby roos right now. When they get older I will have them in a separate pen because I don't want two roos - two different breed roos - mating the same hens.

Some people are able to keep more than 1 roo with the hens with no problems. If your girls start looking messed up - - - you have too many roos or you need to separate the roos. Sometime the roos will have their favorite girls and will only party with them. So, even if there are plenty of girls - - some get too much action. Some roos are just too rough.

My personal belief is roos can be replaced easily - - - hens can not. . . . . If the roo doesn't want to play NICE, then he can play somewhere else.

 

[Kukendame]

I think I will only have room for one roo, my coop is 6X8 with outside run 6X20. But with what looks like 3 out of 9 of my chicks being roos I wont have many eggs.

Can I get new chicks and add them to the older ones safely? Can I just section off a part of the coop for them until they get older?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I'm thinkin' two roos too. For four weeks and five weeks old, they're very red combs and rather developed wattles.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Quote:
Don't underestimate how many eggs you will be getting from 6 girls. I had 1 Aussie and 5 Dark Cornish giving me 4-6 eggs a day when it was -20 degrees. How many eggs do you think you are going to need?