Rooster ratio

[vr1967]

I'm down to 25 laying hens and I have 3 roosters, all Buffs, all less than a year old. My smaller rooster is 8 weeks older than the other two.
I'm having a problem with the two younger ones (about 9 1/2 months old) one of them was a late bloomer, and with two taking care of the girls, everything was fine. When the bloomer started tending to the girls, he would run them crazy, hurt them, stand on their back after he finished, etc. When he started, the other young one (which originally was a good rooster) now acts exactly the same.
I have isolated the young one, trying one at a time with the older rooster, but the behavior continues, so they are being culled.

My question is, will one rooster be enough for 25 hens?

 

[Kiki]

Are you wanting this one rooster to fertilize all the hens?

What do you mean by is one rooster enough?

From my understanding you do not "have" to have a rooster in order to raise happy healthy girls.

 

[aart]

You'll find all kinds of 'rooster' to hen ratios out there.
The most common cited is 1:10, likely derived from commercial enterprises to ensure fertility for hatching.

Truth is, you only need as many males as it takes to meet your goals.
1 virile male may well keep all 25 girls fertilized...or maybe you need 2.
What are your goals for having a male(s) in your flock?

Thing is, multiple males bring their own set of management problems.
Competition and pecking order amongst your 3 males might work out....or not.

There are multiple considerations once we know what your goals are.
RR will state them all succinctly.

Meanwhile, I suggest you take the youngest hellion cockerel and isolate him to reduce the chaos.

 

[lazy gardener]

If I read between your lines, I think you are saying that the conformation of the younger roos is better than the older one. And while the older one treats the ladies better, you'd like the beefiness of one of the younger ones for your gene pool. This is what I'd do: Try removing the older one and one of the younger ones for a week. See if the younger one settles a bit when he doesn't feel ANY competition. Next week, try the same with the other young one. Now, you'll have an idea if the younger boys are truly jerks or engaging in peer pressure bullying. If neither of the younger ones can treat a lady nice, then they need to go in the crock pot. I'd rather breed for behavior than bulk.

My avatar roo is 3+ years old and easily covers 24 hens with good fertility. Especially since all your birds are the same breed, if it was my flock, I'd only keep one roo.

 

[vr1967]

Update. Tried every combo of rooster, and the older one is the only one staying. He has never been an issue, the hens like him.

Had someone want one of the younger roosters, so sold one and put other in with hens to give him another chance. Let them out today, and saw him chasing a hen, he caught up to her, grabbed her by the neck while she was running hard enough to sling her around, then just stood on her. Didn't try to mate, just stood on her. He ways 12 pounds, that hen about 6 and she was squalling.
Heard 3-4 others squalling also , so he going in the pot tomorrow. Since he has been back with them, egg production has went down, and we have notice the hens are skittish again,
I always liked my older one, but we where hoping for a little bigger, but I would rather the calm traits than size.

On a side note, my 24 incubator hatched chicks made 3 weeks today, and have had then in the coop with the others a week now with no issues. I have them an area made up with lattice work, so they have a safe spot around a box with heat lamp.

AND, got to missing a hen last week, found her sitting on 14 eggs. Moved her 3 days ago successfully to my broody pen.

Chicken math at its finest.

 

[aart]

Update. Tried every combo of rooster, and the older one is the only one staying. He has never been an issue, the hens like him.

Had someone want one of the younger roosters, so sold one and put other in with hens to give him another chance. Let them out today, and saw him chasing a hen, he caught up to her, grabbed her by the neck while she was running hard enough to sling her around, then just stood on her. Didn't try to mate, just stood on her. He ways 12 pounds, that hen about 6 and she was squalling.
Heard 3-4 others squalling also , so he going in the pot tomorrow. Since he has been back with them, egg production has went down, and we have notice the hens are skittish again,
I always liked my older one, but we where hoping for a little bigger, but I would rather the calm traits than size.

On a side note, my 24 incubator hatched chicks made 3 weeks today, and have had then in the coop with the others a week now with no issues. I have them an area made up with lattice work, so they have a safe spot around a box with heat lamp.

AND, got to missing a hen last week, found her sitting on 14 eggs. Moved her 3 days ago successfully to my broody pen.

Chicken math at its finest.

Excellent Chicken Juggling!
Chicken math is fine, if you use subtraction too.

 

[vr1967]

2nd update. The day after my last post I started 2 weeks straight of 12 plus hour shifts at work.
Got off yesterday and spent the day with the family. Got up today and started hanging the cone, when wife came out saying a lady just called wanting a rooster.
So alas, he was spared.

Broody hen has hatched 2 chicks so far, (yesterday) so hoping to have more when I get home from work in the morning.

Looks like roughly a dozen cocks in the now 5 week old chicks, so another 5 to 7 weeks (depending on size) I will be looking to pluck a few. (Chicken math subtraction)

 

[aart]

2nd update. The day after my last post I started 2 weeks straight of 12 plus hour shifts at work.
Got off yesterday and spent the day with the family. Got up today and started hanging the cone, when wife came out saying a lady just called wanting a rooster.
So alas, he was spared.

Broody hen has hatched 2 chicks so far, (yesterday) so hoping to have more when I get home from work in the morning.

Looks like roughly a dozen cocks in the now 5 week old chicks, so another 5 to 7 weeks (depending on size) I will be looking to pluck a few. (Chicken math subtraction)

Ha!
Kudos on the subtraction!

I like to slaughter cockerels by 16 weeks, still tender enough to put on the grill for that crispy skinned goodness, and the grilled bones make excellent bone broth.
Nope, not much meat but I don't have room to grow em out bigger...just want em gone.
Don't forget to rest the cleaned carcass in the fridge for 48-72 hours before cooking or grilling or they be damnear unchewable no matter how you cook em.