Roster has been ruff to my hens!

[MrRayFixIt]

The backs of my hens feathers are pulled out and one is bleeding a little. What should I put on the one that's bleeding and should I separate the roster?

 

[The-White-Elephant]

The backs of my hens feathers are pulled out and one is bleeding a little. What should I put on the one that's bleeding and should I separate the roster?

What’s your ratio of males to females?

 

[MrRayFixIt]

What’s your ratio of males to females?

2 rosters and 4 hens

 

[The-White-Elephant]

2 rosters and 4 hens

That’s no good. You need more hens or less rootsers

 

[The-White-Elephant]

That’s no good. You need more hens or less rootsers

A good ration would be 1 rooster for 10 hens.

 

[MrRayFixIt]

A good ration would be 1 rooster for 10 hens.

Yeah I need some more hens. But don't know anyone near me who's selling any

 

[NatJ]

The backs of my hens feathers are pulled out and one is bleeding a little. What should I put on the one that's bleeding and should I separate the roster?

Yes, separate them, at least until the hens heal up a bit.

If you want fertile eggs so you can hatch chicks, you can put each hen in with a rooster to mate, about 2 times each week, and then separate them again-- that will be enough to keep her laying fertile eggs (because hens store sperm to use later), but will mostly prevent further damage.

 

[MysteryChicken]

A good ration would be 1 rooster for 10 hens.

That ratio is based on Hatchery breeder flock ratios.

An odd number of roosters, & hens can work, but in this case I'd increase the amount of hens, or get rid of the most rowdy roo.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My original number of roosters to hens for example in my standard coop is 3 roosters, & 11 hens.

But, right now I have 2 roosters, 2 cockerels, & 11 hens in that coop. The cockerels, will be removed from the picture, plus 3 hens.

So soon it'll be 2 roosters, & 9 hens. There's always a cycle. The older hens removed get replaced with younger ones each year.

Rooster damage isn't terrible within my flocks. Usually it's the younger boys, & heavier breeds that end up roughing the hens up in my flock. Usually there's 1-2, occasionally 4 hens with rooster damage(Not in the same coop). When this happens I use hen saddles, & cull anyone who doesn't settle down, or is human aggressive.

This is usually how I manage my flocks of odd numbers.