Three roos, Three pullets. What to do?

[littlekit]

Dumb questions ahead! Warning.

Now that my bantams are 8 weeks old, seems we have 3 and 3. They currently co-exist well, but I realize that is not going to last? How many roos can I keep, and can I keep in the same coop? If I need to get rid of roos, at what age do I offer them/give away? If I want to eat my hens eggs, do the hens have to be separate from the roos? I know that fertilized eggs are edible, but how many of you all actually eat the ones that are?

Thanks from this chicken beginner.
Kristin

 

[Whisper]

There's no taste difference with fertilized eggs. Everyone here at my house was a little squeamish at first, but I simply stopped buying store eggs. After a while, they tried them in pancakes. Then they tried them scrambled. Now our homegrown fertilized eggs are used in all our normal egg uses. Nobody can tell any difference. We collect eggs daily, so no development happens. Our Easter Eggers are the least broody hens around, so the eggs are cold when we get them. You will honestly not notice any difference.

 

[Bookworm chick]

I also have bantams. I just sent the three 10-week old roos to our local auction. The broody that hatched the 7 chicks (3 roos and 4 pullets) had been integrated with the flock since the chicks were 2 weeks old. In the past two weeks these young roos have been constantly sparring each other and their sisters. Then, they decided to harrass one of my layers. She was petrified of them. They chased her away if she was eating and I hadn't seen her in the nest box at all. That was the last straw for them. We went in the coop the night before the auction and gathered up the 3 troublemakers and they were outta there!
It has been amazing how peaceful the rest of the flock has become. They are all in harmony again.
As far as eating fertilized eggs, I can see no difference at all in taste. We've had a rooster with the hens since the beginning.

 

[greathorse]

there is absolutley no differnece in flavor with fertile eggs vs. non fertile. The other side of this is if you have 1 rooster and three females the females will almost certainly be very bare backed by the time they reach full maturity. It is really up to how you want to manage your flock.

 

[littlekit]

Ah! That is the purpose of the saddles! I wondered!

 

[texasgal]

lucky you! I got FOUR boys and ONE girl ..

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
No kidding!!!!!! I either have 4 boys 1 girl OR all boys.

 

[littlekit]

I was certain I'd have 6 boys! I'm lucky to have some girls, huh?
What age is full maturity for bantams?

 

[tdgill]

you have some options before you get rid of your roos....

I have 2 roos and 5 hens. I separated my roos cause I was chicken to let nature take its course and have the roos figure out who was the boss and who was the bachelor. But ppl say that they can co-exist. If a dominant roo sees a sub roo attempting to mate, he will run and knock the roo off the hen. Hopefully not fighting.

You get to watch your roos now and see how they behave with each other. They might already have figured out who is the boss and who is not. I really enjoy that part of chicken keeping. Personalities etc.

ANyway, I was so attached to my two boys that I had to figure out something I was comfortable with, even though we only had one minor fight in the beginning that turned out a little bloody from a pecked waddle, (and I think that was enough for my buff orp roo to realize he wasnt the boss....) I decided to separate them with each having some girls. I did give away a young roo who was trying to establish dominance with me and probably would have been a toughie with the other two roos. So far the hens are holding up well, I see no wear and tear from excessive mating. I guess they have room to get away from the fellas, the boys are lucky once in a while hahahah.

A friend of mine has a pen with ALL roosters, like seven or something. They get along fine without the girls around to compete after.

I have heard others that keep multiple roosters will rotate roos time with hens...
It all depends on how attached you are to your roos I imagine.

ETA: ok, gonna say it...

AND/OR you can get more chickens!!!!!
LOL

 

[Luvmybob]

If any of my chicks turn out to be roos we plan on eating him in the spring, because we already have a roo....

Also about the fertilized egg, just about every egg I cook is fertile so to compare it to a non fertile egg is hard....all I know is it is YUMMY and soooooooooo much better compared to store bought eggs!!

Good Luck!