WWYD - Too Many Unexpected Roos, Need to Balance Flock

[ChickieChickieMama]

So as a new chicken owner, I started my flock with what I thought were five pullets and three straight run bantams. It looks now like I may have as many as 6 roosters of all variety and 2 red comet pullets. They're all six weeks old now and doing great out in the coop.

I've also got six two week old chicks in the brooder - two Silkies, two Polish and two Easter Eggers. I know it's too early to tell, but my gut feeling based on their stances, behavior, feathering is that I have one Silkie roo and one Polish Roo, and possibly one EE roo too. Of course, knowing my luck, they're probably all cockerels.

My coop is a converted horse stall, 13 x 17 and about 10 foot ceilings. I've got a large hutch out in it for transitioning in the new chicks once they're off the heat lamp. I've got plenty of space for roosting and nesting, and an attached run of approximately 15 x 30, which is not fully predator proof but perfectly sufficient for day time play. Although we have an acre, I'm not comfortable letting them free range because we have too many birds of prey.

I also have a smaller prefab house across the yard, Which would be suitable for max 4 birds (marketed as 6-8 I believe but I prefer to give chickens max space). I intend to use that for my quarantine area, though if need be I can attach a new run and use it to house my impulse buy Silkies.

So, what should I do to balance out my flock? Of my possible cockerels, one is DEFINITELY a proud roo, and he's been great to the ladies so far. He was sold as a Welsummer Pullet but he's clearly neither. Other probable roos include a timid submissive mystery bird that was supposed to be the other Welsummer Pullet, a bossy Buff Cochin, and my little shadow a cuddly Black Bantam Cochin. Possible cockerels include a Golden Seabright and a Bantam Mille Fleur D'uccle (but I'm holding out hope on both of them still )

Only the obvious roo and the buff cochin have shown any signs of leadership. I don't think I can part with my Black Bantam Cochin or my Seabright or Mille Fleur D'uccle. They're my sweetest birds and so beautiful. Of course, as hormones develop and personalities change, who knows what might happen and I know I must do what's best for the entire flock.

I'm open to keeping roosters but what's the best way of balancing this flock??

I haven't had much luck in finding local hens (either of questionable health for around $25-$50, or $75-$150 per bird which is just too expensive for me to make a whole flock out of!)

I've looked at hatcheries online and pullet chicks are very reasonably priced but I'm terrified of getting even more surprise roos. And of course they will take time to be old enough to put in with my flock in the coop. (The weather is warm enough though to enable them to be put outside into the introduction brooder in the coop fairly early.)

SO, if you made it through all that....thanks for reading! If you had my scenario, what would you do? Which roos would you keep? How many hens would you get and where would you get them from?

I really want a docile, mixed flock of colorful egg layers who are great pets. I have two young children and this is a great learning and life experience for us. Ideally down the road I'd love to also start hatching some of our own eggs even.

I thought I'd ask for experienced advice before I went off the chicken math deep end and ended up buying a couple hundred more chickens (and they all ended up being roosters anyway )

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I love roosters.But,soemtimes too many is just too many.
If you have enough cages,you could make a bachelor pad.Or make Seperate flocks throughout your yard.I pick the most friendliest roosters and most well behaved.If they protect the hens and get along well with my others,I usually will keep them.Give them an age limit.See who stands out and who is well behaved and does their job well,keep those.The ones who aren’t as good or you just don’t want,could always go to a another cage to live their life out,or give them away,or have them culled.

 

[lomine]

That seems like a lot of opps boys. Are you basing the gender solely on behavior? Gender specific feathers don't come in until at least 12 weeks of age. That whole thing that boys feather faster is only true when two breeds are crossed for that trait. The same is true for "wing feather sexing." Six weeks old is pretty early to judge the sex unless they have red combs already.

If you want to be double sure of no boys you would have to go with a sex-link variety. But if you really do have that many boys you'll have to have a whole lot more girls. And even that wouldn't prevent fighting and/or over mating.

I think you should wait until the birds are closer to 12 or 13 weeks before deciding what to do. By then it should be clear how many boys you have. (I believe that it's even longer with Silkies, though I've never had any, so I would wait till around 5-6 months for them).

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

I love roosters.But,soemtimes too many is just too many.
If you have enough cages,you could make a bachelor pad.Or make Seperate flocks throughout your yard.I pick the most friendliest roosters and most well behaved.If they protect the hens and get along well with my others,I usually will keep them.Give them an age limit.See who stands out and who is well behaved and does their job well,keep those.The ones who aren’t as good or you just don’t want,could always go to a another cage to live their life out,or give them away,or have them culled.

That was my line of thinking, too. My favourite two possible roos are my black Bantam Cochin and my Golden Seabright, they're just really sweet, friendly and beautiful creatures so far. But, the big obvious roo (I think a brown leghorn maybe) has been an excellent leader and protector of the flock so far so even though I have no strong feelings about him personally, I think he'd be good to keep because of that. What would you say would be a reasonable age limit to set?

I thought about keeping a bachelor pad, but I thinking that might be more "advanced chicken keeping" and I don't know I'd be up for that challenge yet...especially with young children at home...

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

That seems like a lot of opps boys. Are you basing the gender solely on behavior? Gender specific feathers don't come in until at least 12 weeks of age. That whole thing that boys feather faster is only true when two breeds are crossed for that trait. The same is true for "wing feather sexing." Six weeks old is pretty early to judge the sex unless they have red combs already.

If you want to be double sure of no boys you would have to go with a sex-link variety. But if you really do have that many boys you'll have to have a whole lot more girls. And even that wouldn't prevent fighting and/or over mating.

I think you should wait until the birds are closer to 12 or 13 weeks before deciding what to do. By then it should be clear how many boys you have. (I believe that it's even longer with Silkies, though I've never had any, so I would wait till around 5-6 months for them).

This is the thread where we discussed the potential roos. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-be-laying-low-with-the-hens-5-weeks.1242362/

There is one that's definitely a cockerel, but nearly all of them are developing red combs. Of course, I would LOVE to have everyone's predictions proven wrong!!!

I'm trying to prepare myself now because I'm almost certainly going to need some more pullets and it looks like I'm going to have to raise them myself which will take time so I want to be sure I get the right amount at the right time from the right place to prevent things from getting tense or dangerous.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I would start picking out good from bad at about eight months.

 

[ChickieChickieMama]

I would start picking out good from bad at about eight months.

Oh wow that's good to know! I didn't think I'd have that much time!

 

[lomine]

Oh boy it does look like you had some bad luck with so many cockerels. Hopefully the littlest ones are pullets.

I think that with cockerels you need to at least wait until the hormones first kick in, around 14-16 weeks. That’s when you’ll see the first signs of the bad versus the good. With so many boys and being new I don’t think you want to keep any trouble makers.

But do be aware that those that seem really good can change down be line. I think the suggestion of 8 months is a good time frame. I had one that I was going to keep. He was well mannered and seemed to be good with the pullets and hens. Plus he was a handsome bird. Unfortunately this spring he got too confident with himself and turned into a trouble making jerk with the girls. The final straw was attacking my rooster. The cockerel was culled in favor of flock harmony.

 

[bobbi-j]

Oh wow that's good to know! I didn't think I'd have that much time!

They will hit sexual maturity long before that. You will need to have a plan to separate them quickly when they start harassing your pullets (and they will). You will also want to watch out for them fighting (which they will) as they mature. Personally, we eat our extras. I know that's not for everyone, but I'd rather do that then have them go to a new home where I won't know how they are being treated or cared for. I also don't want to spend my time and effort into feeding them just to give them away for someone else to eat.

 

[Relleoms]

What’s considered bad behavior towards the pullets? I have 2 little cocks, almost 10 weeks old, starting to grab the girls by the neck. Is that normal or too agressive?