Rooster Advice Please!

[ElizaMay]

Nothing wrong at all with a ratio of 2 roos to 16 hens!

 

[am7039]

Nothing wrong at all with a ratio of 2 roos to 16 hens!

Thank you! I just didnt want to run risk of them being overbred.

 

[Folly's place]

It might be fine, or not. Be ready to go to Plan B at any time, and especially in spring when everyone is more mature, and hormones are up.
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with Mary - plan B is always good to have up and ready to go with.

You might consider, putting the all 4 of the roosters together for the winter. And pick a winner in the spring. Just another idea.

Adding a single bird to an established groups is hard, adding a pair, is apt to go better. A lot depends on the age of your hens...are they older than you roosters or all the same age? If the same age, I would pull them till the next spring.

Mrs K

 

[Flockincrazy]

Nothing wrong with 2roos to 16hens I have 8roos to 42hens your good

 

[adstowe]

There is no set number of how many roosters to hens will work. It's entirely dependant on your specific birds. Just go with what works for your personal situation. For example, I currently have 12 hens and 2 roosters. That would sound out of proportion based on the constantly mentioned 10:1 ratio, but one rooster is very skittish and only concerned with minding his own business and staying out of the way of the alpha. Things could change at any time, but currently they work fine. The number of birds I keep is fluid and constantly changing based on need and managing the harmony within the flock.

 

[am7039]

I agree with Mary - plan B is always good to have up and ready to go with.

You might consider, putting the all 4 of the roosters together for the winter. And pick a winner in the spring. Just another idea.

Adding a single bird to an established groups is hard, adding a pair, is apt to go better. A lot depends on the age of your hens...are they older than you roosters or all the same age? If the same age, I would pull them till the next spring.

Mrs K

Thank you that is really good advice! 2 of them are 3 months old and the other 2 are 4 months old. I actually contemplated putting all of them together I just wasnt sure where I wanted to house them. I have a barn style shed that my husband converted with two large coops, one on each side. Ideally I would like to get everyone in there for the winter because it is insulated. My only concern is the roosters being insight of the hens across from them.

 

[am7039]

Just an update. I culled the two roosters that were inside with the ladies. The silkie was just beginning to become to aggressive toward us and the ladies. Both roosters were bullying them out of the coops, away from food and all I was seeing was my hens just constantly on the move to keep away from them. It is amazing how much peace is in the coops and pen now. The ladies are dust bathing more, all eating together and not constantly running around. I still have the remaining 2 that are in the bachelor pad. My thought is maybe introducing them to my flock of hens in the spring when everyone is a little more mature. Or maybe I should just keep them seperate. Any thoughts? Im just worried as soon as I introduced them into the flock, I am going to run into the same problems all over again.

 

[ElizaMay]

If you keep them separate fyom hens till spring, my feeling is you run the risk of releasing them as sex-starved maniacs. Just my thoughts. And I could certainly be wrong, but it my experience the moment roosters are let out of confinement they charge the hens like the slavering weasel from Looney Toons, then screams sound and feathers fly.

Slavering weasel

Maybe keep them separate for a little while yet to give the hens a chance to have some peace and develop self-confidence, then try one rooster with them for a couple of days, and then the other, to see who treats them and YOU/Family nicer.Leave that one with the girls, keep the other in the bachelor pad in reserve.
I myself am considering no roosters at all. We have 3 bzntam roos and 1 teenage blue orp and one mature blue orp. Finally brought hubby to the dark side yesterday, and had him calling the senior blue orp Christmas dinner as we plucked and dressed a cockerel troublemaker into a lovely-looking supper. We don't have the coop space for a bachelor pad, so too many crazy roosters for more than any reproductive needs.

 

[am7039]

I really appreciate your advice. I never considered the good point that the longer I keep them away from the girls the potential for them to be wild once they are in there. I do let them free range for a couple hours a day after I am home from work. I noticed they like to check out the girls in that pen but so far they just watch them for a little bit and keep on their marry way.