Think I'm ready to add a rooster!

[myersfamilyhome]

So my 4 newest pullets are transitioning to the coop with the other 4 and we have decided because of distance from feed stores and being offgrid to take the next step and get a rooster for breeding. I believe we should be safe with a 8:1 ratio at this point without any issues and we have a game plan for managing the size of the flock. The question we have is that I'm not sure how to order one male buff orpington chick, seems like everyone has a 10+ minimum order. Any suggestions?

 

[igorsMistress]

How old are the pullets? Depending on age, you might do better to check around for a cockerel nobody wants and introduce him after quarantine. A lone chick even a few weeks younger can be rough with older birds so he would need a friend, even another pullet would be fine. Hatcheries have minimums but you might find someone local on Craigslist or something similar in your area.

 

[myersfamilyhome]

Sorry for not stating that but yes my intent was to have another pullet ordered with the male. The issue is that there are very few resources within driving distance or that I would feel confident using as a source for healthy birds. The pullers I have now are almost a month and a half old. Was just wondering if there are any resources with lower minimums.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sorry for not stating that but yes my intent was to have another pullet ordered with the male. The issue is that there are very few resources within driving distance or that I would feel confident using as a source for healthy birds. The pullers I have now are almost a month and a half old. Was just wondering if there are any resources with lower minimums.

There are some hatcheries that sell very small minimum orders at a premium price to cover the extra measured needed to keep just a few chicks warm and healthy during shipping.

Are there any farm stores within a reasonable drive that have low minimums? Could you order a larger number of chicks then sell the extras as started pullets or point-of-lay pullets?

 

[myersfamilyhome]

No one nearby and the local stores that are hrs away poorly care for there birds when in stock and rarely have males. Guess I'll keep looking for a low minimum order hatchery. Wasn't sure if there were any on here that did this. Thx for the help.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am going to suggest that you wait. Roosters with pullets are often times rough on the pullets, can run them ragged. And roosters take a lot of experience. Not all roosters will work out. Your pullet eggs will not be big enough to have a good hatching rate, so you don't need a rooster right away. I would wait until your girls are grown up and laying well, then add a rooster.

Your current birds are not full grown, so how they will work in your set up, is really yet to be seen. Just because they are getting along well right now, is no guarantee that they will continue to do so. While there are measurements that can help, they are no guarantee, a lot depends on your birds, and shape of your set up. Waiting till they are full grown can really help you see how well this is working.

You will gain invaluable experience in the mean time. Then either this fall or next spring, order one more set of chicks, get a straight run. You will get rooster chicks, you will have mature hens, and you can raise those chicks right up in the flock. Roosters raised this way, in a flock of mature hens often times (no guarantees) much better manners and are much better with chicken society. Just getting one rooster, and hoping and praying that he will turn out to be a good rooster, does not often work.

This will let you have a couple of roosters to pick from, it will allow you to thin your flock to your best layers. If you do this in the spring, you can cheat on your space a bit, and by fall, you can thin your flock to fit your set up.

Flocks really are not a static perfect number as in 8 hens and one rooster. Flocks grow and decrease in numbers throughout the year, I keep a flock, but the birds in the flock come and go. I want to have the smallest flock going into winter, and the largest flock going into summer.

Mrs K

 

[igorsMistress]

Sorry for not stating that but yes my intent was to have another pullet ordered with the male. The issue is that there are very few resources within driving distance or that I would feel confident using as a source for healthy birds. The pullers I have now are almost a month and a half old. Was just wondering if there are any resources with lower minimums.

Gotcha. Three chick minimum here. I’ve never ordered chickens here but I have three wonderful ducks from this hatchery that are very healthy

https://www.californiahatchery.com/Chickens_c_11.html

 

[Tonyroo]

He's looking for a Buff Orpington rooster, breed specific. Not just any random breed.