Some rooster advice

[myneek]

Hi, I'm after some advice

I have 2 Lemon Millefluer hens, they have been laying about 2 months now. In addition I have three 8 week old hens and three 8 week old Roo's, all Lemon Millefluers as well. We got the chicks not know what sex they were, so have ended up with three pairs.

I'm concerned that the roo's will start trying to mate the two hens, also the 3 pullets.

Having read a few threads... I seem to think that they start mating around the time the hens lay, say 5-6 months old.

I'm not interested in having fertilised eggs, especially with two laying hens already. We love the roo's dearly, but are concerned that they will start mating with the older hens.

The advice i'm after is should we consider selling the roo's now? We were planning on keeping all of them until March next year.

I'm just worried for the hen's.

Any advice on if we should sell the roo's now or if it is going to be ok to keep them all until March. I'm not sure on when they will think about mating or getting agressive (if they do) with each other.

Will be sad if they have to go now as they are lovely boys, so friendly

Look forward to some advice before we have to say goodbye to them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[chicmom]

Hello!

So, you have two hens and three pullets, and three cockerels. So 5 females and 3 males. Honestly, that is too many roosters for five gals. I would only keep one. If you collect those eggs daily, and put them in the fridge, even if he mates with the hens, nobody will ever know that your eggs are fertile.

You could keep all three until you decide which one is the handsomest, or the sweetest......

 

[myneek]

We plan to sell the three pullet and three roo as 3 pairs. and then get some more eggs. We love the chick stage etc.

So I think it seems a wait and see game, if the boys start being naughty, fight and upset the hens then they will have to move out.

What do you think the chances of having a content silent time until March next year will be? Or am i likely to have a mating issue and crowing competition by then?

 

[sdm111]

Why not fertilized eggs? If non fertilized then the males have to go or be separated. No real getting around it. I personally would make a trio then single pen the other males and have a small flock with the hens that are left.

 

[aart]

Depends on your goals, which seem to be mixed or at least with several options.
The cockerels won't start trying to mate until they are about 4-5 months old.

It sounds like it might be a good idea for you to have several separate coops/runs...one of them being out of sight, if not sound, of the females for the cockerels to live in. Without any females in sight they should get along ok until you decide to sell or use them for breeding......tis the competition of other males around that gets them fighting and/or over-mating the females.

You could have a hen pen for the layers, a breeding pen for when you want to put a pair/trio/quad together for breeding and a rooster pen for the males in waiting. Might need a brooder/broody pen too if you want to raise chicks also.

Just some thoughts as you solidify your goals.