VERY unpopular opinions:
Just because someone doesn't have the EXACT coop-to-run ratio does not mean their chickens are unhappy
AND:
10-12 hens per roo should be a guideline not a rigid rule. It depends on the roo.
I totally agree. Really these "rules" are intended for newbies who really don't know enough not to get themselves into trouble by wanting ten chickens in that
Tractor Supply prefab. The reality, as I've found it, is that the bigger you go, the less the rules apply. 10 chickens in a space meant for 5 is too much. 20 in a space for 10 is probably too much, too. When you get to 50 in a space for 25, it's not quite as big a deal. 100 in a space for 50 is probably not a problem at all (never gotten to that point myself!) because space for 50 chickens is a hell of a lot of space. It's not like they're drawing lines on the ground and daring one another to cross them. In a 200 square foot coop, there are probably spaces the chickens never use at all.
And the rooster thing, again, for beginners who want to keep every roo they raise. I have one roo and 34 hens. I might like to have a second, but conflict between roos makes it more trouble than it's worth, and there are always cockerels coming up if I needed a replacement. He gets the job done, for all of them. At the same time, I have two bantam roos that live together, surrounded by all those hens, and they don't fight. But feed either of those scenarios to someone who's desperate to keep that crowing chick and they use it as proof they should keep him, when 99% of the time I think it's better not to. For those two situations, I've eaten, sold or given away a hundred others, probably, including some I really liked. It just wasn't worth the trouble. Heck, I don't even really love the idea of the two banty boys since they aren't giving anything back!
