too many roosters, or not enough?

[oliviad51]

I have a total or 27 hens and 5 roosters. Is this too many roosters?

 

[luvchicks8]

well your doing better tham me I have 4 roos and 9 hens

 

[myfester]

Luvchicks8, I thought I was cursed with having 3 roos and 6 hens. I'm wondering the same thing...too many roos??

 

[farmboydj]

that is to many roos they say 8-10 hens per 1 rooster but if every thing is ok with your hens then there is not a problem

 

[sourland]

As long as they are not hurting or gang breeding your hens, that may not be too many, but why would you want that many roosters? 2 roosters to that many hens would guarantee fertile eggs if that is what you want.

 

[oliviad51]

Its not like I wanted all those roosters. I believe im not the only one who has this problem. I hatched them as chicks, and I don't have anyone to give them to.

 

[michickenwrangler]

You could always eat them

Did you try putting an ad on craiglist or bestfarmbuys?

Take the lead from your hens. If they're harried or bald, let a roo or two go. If they seem content and the roos get along, you may be able to keep them

 

[Mervin]

I had 2 roos and 10 hens until this weekend. The roos were/are young and just figuring out how to be roos and the girls seemed a bit stressed. I now have 1 roo and 10 hens. Things really seem a lot less tense in the pen now. The two roos got along pretty well, didn't fight, they even took turns (sort of), but the ladies just didn't seem that happy. The high strung roo is gone and now things seem better.

 

[oliviad51]

My girl's backs are beat up. I want to sale my polish rooster, but he attacks people. I don't want to give him to a family that is going to have to deal with him. He wouldn't make a good meat bird either.

 

[gryeyes]

I have too many roosters too, due to the bad side of the "straight run" situation with bantam breeds. One set of 4 chicks, and 3 were roos. Another set of four chicks, and 2 are roos. I already have a rooster, but if all of the flock but him were hens/pullets, I could use a second rooster. Not four extras, and bantam roosters at that!

So, nobody would want 'em to eat (which is fine by me) and nobody else wants 'em for breeding. I admit I like the little suckers but I do wish they'd leave the pullets alone! I'm hoping it will settle done eventually. Carl, the main and standard sized rooster keeps 'em in line when he's close by, but they all free range and sometimes he's out of sight when the little horny guys tag team a pullet. If I'm around, I just yank 'em off the girls. But I work, so I know there are 10 hours a day, five days a week, that they are annoying the pullets.

If you're concerned about fertility, the ratio is 10 hens to 1 rooster. If not, 15 to 20 hens to a rooster is fine.