# How many hen per rooster?



## jerryboobs (Apr 30, 2013)

Help


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## pypy_chicks (Mar 14, 2014)

I hear 8-12 often depending on breed . I am personally keeping all mine at under 10 per rooster if I can help it .


Current flock: 51


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

6-12

Problems at 6, and under, is over breeding but that can be fixed with chicken saddles if needed (i.e. super rare expensive breeding project) Over breeding will hurt egg production and the roosters will hurt the hen backs.

Problems at 12, and the higher numbers, are fertility issues. This is kinda dependent on the rooster and how virile he is. You will know you have too many hens when you find a bunch of unfertile eggs. However to avoid rooster fights, higher hen numbers can reduce this.

Though I should point out, sometimes there is nothing you can do to stop a rooster fight except separate pens and separating them completely


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## greg1266 (Mar 19, 2014)

I would say 6- 10. Especially if your trying to breed them. If there are any more hens then that, the eggs might not be fertile because roosters sometimes tend to favor 2-3 hens.


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Right now I have 2 roosters with no girls, one rooster with one girl, and my older rooster with 9 girls. However my little guy with the 1 girl was in the recoup-orating area because he had come to us as a throw away, his middle toe was bleeding badly, and since I had a small wounded female hen that we had taken in I let them be together. As for breeding I think he bred her once in the past 2 months.

My single boys are not mature enough yet to be left alone with the ladies, the last few times I added one with the ladies they would breed the same girl 20 times in 30 minutes. I don't tolerate that. Plus one of my Delaware roosters is a fighter.


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## twentynine (Jul 11, 2012)

I go with 6-12, depending on how old the rooster. The older roosters sometimes mellow out and are not Johnny on the spot. Put another rooster in the coop, and the old guy gets some pep in his step.


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