Rooster being excluded

[MotherHen75]

A friend of ours has about 5 Guineas and a lot of roosters and hens. They call the Guineas the ‘police’ since they break up fights going on with the roosters. They follow the main trouble maker around, most of their chickens haven’t been raised together and get along fine. Their chickens are all ages, 2 years to 4 months. If the Guineas don’t work out, we can give our friends rooster or two.

 

[Mrs. K]

Truthfully there is a huge difference in the dynamics of a very large flock verses a small flock, which is what you have. Adding to a small flock, unless you have acres to run on, is going to make for a lot more problems.

If you are only going to have 7 hens, you only should have one rooster. They don't call it cock-fighting for nothing. To keep three roosters, you really need about 40-50 hens and acres.

As AARt - an experienced long time poster here says, "Roosters are when the romance meets reality of chicken raising.

If those friends of yours will take the roosters, pick two and get them down the road, your hens are going to shortly be hating all of them soon.

Mrs K

 

[MotherHen75]

We have about 4 acres

 

[casportpony]

We have about 4 acres

Do they get to free range on all 4 acres?

 

[MotherHen75]

Yes. They even go PAST the four acres, they went into our neighbors yard, I had to jump he fence and (carefully) throw them over

 

[MotherHen75]

Alright so Reggy got a girlfriend, one of the amerecaunas stay with him now, I’m happier then I should be

 

[casportpony]

Alright so Reggy got a girlfriend, one of the amerecaunas stay with him now, I’m happier then I should be

 

[MotherHen75]

Roosters are maturing.... I think one of the reasons all the hens stick with my bantam is because they're all pretty much too big for him to mate with. And Reggy is trying to mate with the hens, orpington girls are fending him off though, and the road island is also trying to mate occasionally. Might have to get rid of Big Red, he'd be in a good home though.