# Minimum hen to rooster ratio?



## Gardenlady

I've never raised chickens before, and plan on ordering chicks in the next few weeks. The breed I will be getting is Dominique, and I'd like to have roosters so I can breed my own flock for meat birds each year & layers as needed. 
Most sites say the hen to rooster ratio should be 10:1, but a few say more and a few say less.

Does anyone here know the minimum number of hens that would work out without the hens becoming injured from excessive mating? I'd like to have 2 roosters, but don't need 20 hens. Coop hasn't been built yet, but I will give a minimum of 5 sq ft per bird, and they will have access to a very large fenced area during the day.

14-16 hens would be my preference, but that gives a ratio of 7:1 or 8:1.


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## TheLazyL

I have 8 hens.

Four follow the Rooster around and the other 4 go where they want (must be liberated females?).

So I'd guess closer to 1 to 4 ratio.


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## Bee

With young and vigorous roosters you may see some excessive feather loss from breeding at that ratio. As the birds age, one can get away with using older and less vigorous roosters with small hen ratio...but then the breeding efficacy goes out the window. 

You can try it and see what happens...but I would make adjustments if the hens start to lose feathering. Bare skin on chickens is highly undesirable and leaves them open to wounds, insect predation, sun and cold exposure and infections.


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## Apyl

I have a 6 hens to 1 rooster ratio with my older flock members. Technically this is to small a ratio, I have a two hens that are pretty ragged right now. Once my younger pullets are older the ratio will be 10 to 1 once the extra roosters are butchered before winter.


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## WeeLittleChicken

I find this really depends on the roosters... which isn't much help but that's how it goes. I had two roosters with 23 girls and they felt like this wasn't enough! (Sold one to a farm with 70 girls, wasn't he a lucky boy! The remaining was STILL too rough with my girls so we ate him.) On the other hand my Seramas are coming into maturity and as of yet they haven't given any problems either with fighting or hens despite the fact I have three roosters in with nine hens! (I'm about to split them into groups next week but that's because I want unrelated roosters breeding with unrelated hens, has little to do with the roosters' over amorous natures.) 

I think it's just something you have to figure out along the way. Keep in mind if you're ordering 14 or 16 you might end up with an extra rooster anyway. Sexing most breeds of chicks is far from an exact science. Of course if you end up with too many roosters there's always the pot or selling the extras. I know, it's not the best option when you get attached but it's always there.


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