Rooster count

[AshVau22]

Mine are on an acre fenced in also, I only have one coop. I guess I need to get another coop or rehome roos

If you want them all to run together one day you'll definitely need more hens. I find 8-10 hens a rooster is good. Breed also matters some are just more aggressive than others.

 

[LyndsayJade]

I have 24 hens and 3 roosters (and one 12 week old that I'm almost sure is a rooster).

I have two separate run/coop setups. My older roosters, Bernard and Poppy, live in one with 13 hens. For a while I had a chicken wire "wall" that separated two halves of the run. They always free-ranged together and did well. Just this last year (after years of being separated when inside), I opened the door between them and they are doing well as one big group.

My other rooster, Monroe, is only about a year old. He's more aggressive, and so he lives in a separate run/coop setup with 4 hens. One of the hens had chicks (one of which I think is a rooster). I got 4 more chicks (sexed!) for another broody to bring up the hen ratio. I'm currently working on constructing a big addition to their run in case I need to let the maybe-rooster have his own separate space.

14 hens and 4 roosters (~3-4 hens per rooster) seems pretty low as a ratio. I've always heard it should be about 8-10 hens per rooster. It sounds like you have a good amount of space, which is good.

But like I wrote, having my roosters have their own "space" when it came to being locked up really helped keep the peace, and they mostly stayed away from each other when free ranging. (There were some minor scuffles, but no real out-and-out fights).

Thank you for the insight and how you make it work with multiple rosters. Definitely giving me ideas!

 

[GuineaMania]

Do you keep them all together?

Yes, and they have a large fenced area. One of my roosters is the dominant one, and is sometimes mean to the other. I wanted 3 roosters originally but ended up with a surprise hen.

 

[Anon112]

Thank you for the insight and how you make it work with multiple rosters. Definitely giving me ideas!

Best of luck!

While one concern is about the roosters not fighting, you also need to make sure that the hens aren't being overmated.

 

[Cmp211]

I have 16 hens 1 rooster, we had 2 roosters but had to cull one because he was so Nasty and attacked me multiple times.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I will say, it can work. Is it likely to? Not really. How old are the young cockerels? They’re going to start picking on those pullets soon, as the boys’ hormone levels rise. I have one rooster and 17 hens in with him. I also have a second roo with two hens. My first rooster is so territorial that if I put another roo in there with him, he would probably kill him.

If yours were raised together, there’s a greater chance they’ll get along. You may have to separate some or all of them from the pullets though. Cockerels will usually attempt to start mating long before the pullets are ready, and this creates a lot of stress on everyone.

 

[rural mouse]

31 birds, 4 of which are roosters....and 20 chicks they're raising.....until mamas decide they're done, then most will go to a new home (plan before they hatched). 1 coop, no run, free-range from coop open until near sundown when they all go to roost (unless one goes broody on a hidden nest) and I do head count and close the coop.

 

[Mrs. K]

More roosters tend to mean more trouble in a variety of forms.

 

[LyndsayJade]

I will say, it can work. Is it likely to? Not really. How old are the young cockerels? They’re going to start picking on those pullets soon, as the boys’ hormone levels rise. I have one rooster and 17 hens in with him. I also have a second roo with two hens. My first rooster is so territorial that if I put another roo in there with him, he would probably kill him.

If yours were raised together, there’s a greater chance they’ll get along. You may have to separate some or all of them from the pullets though. Cockerels will usually attempt to start mating long before the pullets are ready, and this creates a lot of stress on everyone.

They are between 14-16 weeks old. I plan on rehoming two and getting two more hens.