Roosters to hens ratio

[aart]

However, if someone asks what is the correct ratio for the chicken the answer is always one to one.

SMH...sure maybe in the wild, or if a keeper has lots of free ranging land.
But in most cases with BackYardChickens....that is not going to turn out well.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Some of these answers are great, but do not take into account the fact that OP has limited space and experience. In my opinion, her ratio of hens to roos is likely to be problematic for her because of these factors - not because of what's natural for chickens. Her question was, will the hens be happy with this ratio? In my estimation, given her lack of expertise and limited space, probably not. If she were comfortable handling any problems that might arise, or even spotting such problems; IF she were set up with a bachelor pad, IF she were comfortable stepping into the middle of a rooster mash and separating a couple of fighting cocks before one got hurt without herself getting spurred or losing an eye - then sure, this could work. But I don't think she is. Hens' happiness aside, I question whether she is going to be happy with the arrangement. And no, I don't think she is. She needs a few years' experience handling one rooster. Then she can try multiples if she wishes, and her chances of success will be far greater. Probably none of you rooster wranglers jumped right in with multiple roosters right out of the gate, and if you did, I'm betting it wasn't a smooth and painless experience.

 

[getaclue]

In a word, no.

 

[Shadrach]

The correct rooster to hen ratio is one to one. The chickens ancestors seem to have managed this for centuries. It's one of the reasons over time, on average 50% of hatchings are male and 50% female. Nature has it pretty much sorted.
Then along came humans and it all went down hill from there for the chicken, because the humans were not the slightest bit interested in what was natural or good for the chicken, they just wanted the eggs from the female chickens.
Much like humans though the males would fight to protect their hen and offspring. Once the offspring grew up they left home and started their own families.
Keeping say 20 roosters and 20 hens is problematical. It can be done and some who keep game fowl in particular have this arrangement.
The next best option learned by those who have kept chickens for centuries was a three hens to one rooster option. There are very good reasons why this works which I won't go into here.
None of the above stops anyone from keeping whatever ratio they please because the chickens don't get a say in the matter.
However, if someone asks what is the correct ratio for the chicken the answer is always one to one.
All the other answers are guesswork and often badly informed guesswork.
I keep one to three, or four ratios but I have the chickens welfare in mind rather than my own.

 

[aart]

That rather depends on the keeping arrangements.
All I'm trying to point out is this assumption that a rooster needs a particular number of hens to avoid over-mating is complete and utter nonsense. It doesn't work like that.
Every time this topic comes up someone, often more than one posts that if you only have one or two hens per rooster the hens will be over-mated and you need (inset any number you please here). it's rubbish.

Exactly, there are no hard numbers that work in every situation...including your one to one.

 

[Shepherdess]

I've kept chickens for many years. We are a no kill farm. Our roosters do great together if they are raised together. We have five coops and each has at least two roosters as well as a group that free ranges that has three roosters. We've only had problems once with two brothers but now they coexist peacefully in a bachelor pen . We would never be without roosters. They herd their girls into coops when danger is present and will fight to the death if there is an immediate threat. I can't tell you the number of times that their crowing has warned us that something was up in the barnyard. We love Hagrid, George, Ringo, Dweezle, Dweezle II, Dweezle III, Chanticler and Pigwidgeon. We remember with sadness Flash, Warrior and Monsieur who gave their lives for their girls...

 

[Chicken Heel]

Yesterday morning I integrated my 17 weeks old Black Australorp into my mixed flock of 12 large breed hens that are 2 3/4 years old and have never had a rooster with them before. I have done similar integrations in the past and sometimes the youngster has gotten his butt whipped. But in this case, the hens accepted him into the flock seamlessly. By the afternoon, he was doing what roosters do and all was still peaceful. He even went into the coop at dark after all the hens had gone to roost which I like to see. It appears he is going to be a nice rooster and he now has 12 ladies to help him out with his raging hormones.

 

[jolenesdad]

Confined/domesticated chicken keeping is not the natural order, so the "ideal" natural ratio does not apply...

@aart bringing the real talk in this thread.


I would also point out that the OP mentioned they keep the chickens in a stall in the barn over the winter, so odds are they need no more than 1 rooster, if at all.

 

[Shadrach]

Confined/domesticated chicken keeping is not the natural order, so the "ideal" natural ratio does not apply...

@aart bringing the real talk in this thread.


I would also point out that the OP mentioned they keep the chickens in a stall in the barn over the winter, so odds are they need no more than 1 rooster, if at all.

You are missing the point.
The assumption is that if a rooster has only one or two, or a few hens he will overmate them.
Space in this case has little to do with it. You could put 10 hens in the space and the rooster will mate with one or two more than he will the others.
You have also conveniently overlooked that I mentioned that I keep 1:4 ratios.
I also mention that if chickens are contained you can keep any ratio you like.
The point I'm trying patiently to address is that providing any particular number of hens for a rooster is not going to guarantee that over-mating won't happen.
It doesn't matter if you keep them in a barn, am a run or a spaceship.
With the numbers the OP has, three roosters and two hens the probability is one rooster will become senior and he will mate with the hens. That rooster will probably drive the other roosters away.
aart doesn't keep roosters afaik.

 

[Shadrach]

I got cheated out of that ratio. Out 20 something eggs hatched this year I ended up with only two pullets the rest cockerels. I’m swimming in cockerel right now. My luck!

I haven't read the original study.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/a-drop-in-temperature-can-change-the-sex-of-chickens-1238516.html
Speak to some of the chicken keepers were I live and you may get told that hens have the ability to determine the sexes of the chicks they hatch. I read a long time ago a study that suggested there may be some truth in this, but didn't understand how such a mechanism could work.
With the study mentioned above and now the research being undertaken by the egg and hatchery industry, plus the offshoot studies from this paper,
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1516-635X2016000600001&script=sci_arttext
it seems possible that a hen could influence the sexes of the hatch given she can control the temperature.
Now all we need to know is if the hen can and does alter egg temperatures with intent.
If she can then you need to have a word with your hen or adjust your incubator temps accordingly.