Roosters - Use them only when needed?

[Ted Brown]

If one has the coop/cage flexibility is it better to keep the rooster with the hens or separate in a bachelor pad?

Better:

• hen's condition & social order
• reduced aggression, control thereof
• other?

Plan is to breed annually, 6 month old males will fill the freezer.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Perhaps I'm biased, but I believe my hens are calmer, and the entire flock are more relaxed, when they have at least one rooster with them.

 

[Ted Brown]

What is your flock size and rooster/hen ratio?

Thank you for your feedback.

 

[Sussex19]

I find my hens tend to be more active, and just happier with a rooster.
My free range flock is made up of 4 older girls, (not laying in the moment) 5 laying pullets, and one younger pullet.
I am having no issues with wear and tear on the hens feathers with this amount of girls.
But then, I can't see why it wouldn't work keeping them separate, although I am inclined to think that the more natural one can keep it, the better.
If you do try keeping him separate, I would be interested to hear how well it goes in the long run.

 

[David61]

1-9 is what I have read.

What is your flock size and rooster/hen ratio?

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

I love having a rooster in my flock, my hens are calm,there is no fighting about who is where In the pecking order. The rooster keeps them safe,makes sure everyone gets a piece of food(I have a pretty bossy hen who likes to eat first and doesn’t like when my small hens get food but my rooster helps with that)
and keeps everyone together and he calms them down when the hens gets freaked out
I have 4 hens and a rooster who are all pretty much the same age

 

[fluffycrow]

1-9 is what I have read.

That magical hen-rooster ratio that everyone mentions, yet everyone mentions a different number. Truth is it depends on many different factors. Breed, coop size, age, and many more. Lastly, every bird is an individual, and thus what applies for one male does not apply to the next. My current rooster is huge, yet he only has 6 hens which he cares for and is very respectful with. On the other hand, my past rooster had 14 hens and they did not live hapilly

 

[Tired old Rooster]

Better to make sure you have a good rooster and keep him with the flock. Then set aside a place for any cockerels to live separate from the flock until they go off to freezer camp.

If he turns out to be a bad rooster, then the only sensible solution is to put him in the freezer and start over with a new one.

 

[aart]

If one has the coop/cage flexibility is it better to keep the rooster with the hens or separate in a bachelor pad?

Better:

• hen's condition & social order
• reduced aggression, control thereof
• other?

Plan is to breed annually, 6 month old males will fill the freezer.

I would save your flex space to isolate the hatched males until harvest time.
Leave the main male with the flock.
This is assuming you have only one male you want to breed.

 

[Ted Brown]

Current cockerel (hatched June '22) is with 19 hens/pullets. I will hatch in June for laying pullets come January '24.

Flex space will be an 8' by 8' by 6' cage under cover; can sub-divide to two 8' by 4' by 6'.