Rough Breeding !

[bigstack]

My hens all have bald spots on their necks! One even has her skin torn very badly around her head! I knew they could mess up their back feathers but I have never seen this much damage on their heads? Do I need to get newer gentler breeding roos? I have removed the relly injured hen and put her into a seperate pen to heal. Her head around her comb is really torn up badly! It has to be from the roos. They are the only one I have seen grab then in that area! I have witnessed the roos grabing the hens neck and then mounting them. I have even seen one roo grab and breed the hen and befor he was finished another roo grabbed her and jumped on right after the first. Talk about cheating! I have to dispatch 6 more roos to get down to 1 roo for every 8 hens. Will this stop all the competition? will they calm down and be gentler if there are fewer roos? I was waiting to see who would be the best ones to keep. I know have my best picked out but If they are going to continue to hurt the girls, I will start over!

Suggestions?

God Bless!

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Yup, sounds like you have a real ratio issue. 10 roos for 23 hens is waaaaay too many roos and will lead to undue competition and overbreeding of the hens, I would thin them out real quick.

 

[bigstack]

Well I actually have 4 picked out to keep! 1 is HUGE! He is 5-6 inches taller than any other roo! 1 is so sweet and talks to me all the time. 1 is just beautiful. and the last is really sweet to the girls doing all the gentlemanly stuff! he will pick up the tidbits of food and drop it in front of them and do his lil calls for them. He does his dance and all the right stuff. He isn't the best but I will keep him for the egg birds. Same for my sweety! The beautiful 1 and the HUGE 1 will be my Breeding guys! I guess I just took to long to decide who to keep.

Thanks for the answers. I knew it was too many, I just couldn't decide. If it don't rain this weekend I guess It will be soon!

One more question.... I have 2 RIR hens that were given to me. They are only 15 weeks old. If I add them to the egg flock will the roos try to breed them at that age? I know they are too young but do they know it??? I just hate to traumatize the girls before they are even ready to breed!

Thanks and God Bless!

 

[lamelde]

My initial flock was 2 roo and 5 hens (the mean roo was eliminated)

My new additions are 2 roo and 11 hens (totals = 3 roo & 16 hens)

Is that too many roo's? When they are free ranging - how can 1 or 2 roo's keep watch on all those hens?

 

[bigstack]

You should be ok. Might just want to keep an eye on them. I know a happy flock is 6-8 hens per roo! 10 is to few hens for fertility and any less than 6 and you wind up like me! hens beeing bred too often and roos in competition! I knew the answer I just wanted to get another opinion.

God Bless!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I would wait to add the RIR pullets to the flock.

 

[Red&Yellow]

I had put 5 14 wks in with my sweetheart roo - and he didn't mate them until about 19 or 20 wks, which is when they started to lay. Now, if your roos are ridiculous and have no inhibitions, then they might mate them, might wait.

 

[bigstack]

Yeah, I think your right. With the way they are now it will be better to wait. I will thin the flock and see how they act. Then maybe if they chill out I will add them.

Thanks for the help. I guess I kinda already knew. I just needed another opinion.

God bless!