Roosters

[Michaelamarie]

I have 7 hens and 2 roosters. Should I get rid of one rooster or is that an ok ratio? Thanks

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, I think two roosters is too many for 7 hens. Another thing to consider is the size of your coop and run. Roosters need more room.

And while you think everyone is getting along , I am willing to bet there is a tension you are not aware of until you remove one of them.

 

[McChooky]

My dominant rooster and spare work as a team but I'm re-homing the spare with 5 hens to a friend quick as his coops done .The ratio of 2/16 will be 1/11 then. Less stress is always best

 

[Folly's place]

Watch what's happening out there. How old are your birds? Cockerels and pullets are not the same as hens and cockerels, for example, or all adults. If one or more birds are being harassed or overmated, who's doing it, and who should leave? Most often, this is a situation where one male should be gone, but which one? Sometimes a female has poor feather quality, easily damaged, so not due to overmating.
Best to spend time observing your flock, and then make informed decisions.
Mary

 

[BigBlueHen53]

my hens are all 3 years old. The 2 roosters are about 9 months they were hatched by one of my broody hens (I gave her fertilized eggs) Only one of my hens has a bald back. I’ve watched both roosters go after her at the same time. The other hens seem to fight back so to speak, I’ve seen them chasing the roosters. I’m not sure if that will change though. I would like to keep both but not if it’s too much for my girls. They all free range so it’s nice to have roosters as protectors.

Roosters do not really protect the flock. More accurately, they alert the flock if danger is near, and they may try to lead the flock to safety - either into the coop or under shelter such as a bush. Sometimes a rooster will attempt to fight off an attack but he generally loses his life in the process.

 

[Evadig]

I have two roosters and nine hens and I used to alternate the days each rooster got to come out with the flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not much into ratios. What works, works. What doesn't, doesn't.

You have one girl that is barebacked. People always talk about over-mating. To me there can be different things going on. One is that some hens have brittle feathers. Even if the boy is very gentle her feathers are easy to break. It is a genetic thing. I once had one boy and eight girls. Two became barebacked so I ate the two girls. Even with the ratio reduced to one to six no others became barebacked. I did not blame the bare backs on the boy.

Sometimes a boy has a bad rough technique. Many grow out of it but younger males especially can have this problem. I think it is a self-confidence thing more than anything else. Instead of being able to rely on their dominant personality to get the girl to cooperate they rely more on brute force. This can cause feathers to fly.

Sometimes two or more boys together can cause competition. They both want to be dominant and are influenced by the other's presence. Sometimes one becomes dominant and will not let the other mate in his presence. When I have multiple cockerels in my flock I usually see both behaviors.

Your boys are 9 months old while the girls are fully mature. Many cockerels are able to act fully mature by that age but some mature slower. It sounds like yours are not fully mature since they let the other hens bully them. That one sounds like the only hen that does not. At some point one of those boys will take over as flock leader. That could mean serious fighting between the boys though that is not a guarantee. It could mean serious fighting between one or both boys and some hens, especially the dominant hen. Some dominant mature hens will hand over the flock to a boy when he matures enough to be a rooster but some will fight and resist. Usually with my flock that has been a relatively peaceful handover but once it involved two days of brutality before she finally gave up and accepted his dominance. I think that was made worse as he was not a particularly strong personality. He had to rely on brute strength instead of the force of his personality.

There is no guarantee that the final flock takeover will be peaceful if you get rid of one of your boys. Mine sure wasn't peaceful that time with just one. But your odds are probably better if you only have one boy.

It is not that two or more boys guarantee problems. Sometimes they work things out pretty peacefully and work well together to take care of the flock. But the more boys you have the more likely you are to have problems. My general suggestion is to keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals.

 

[McRaffi Farm]

I have two roosters and nine hens and I used to alternate the days each rooster got to come out with the flock.

I like this idea we have 3 roosters and 11 hens. The roosters being rotated is a great idea. I am planning on having more hens and we are building another coop but for now to rotate makes the most sense.

 

[goats-n-oats]

If they're all getting along ok there's no reason to get rid of him. The ratios are recommended to prevent aggression among the roosters.

 

[Folly's place]

Consider keeping the one you like best...
You could try having one out there with the hens, for at least a few days, and then try the other one with the hens, and see who behaves best. It won't be a sure thing, but another way to let the hens decide.
If either, or both are looking at you with any sort of challenge, that's definitely a sign to remove the offender(s).
Mary