# Question on Rooster to hen ratio



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

I have 6 silkies 2 boys for sure and 4 girls. I have another larger chicken in with them just because she had a hurt leg But now she seems to just love being with them so I left her with them. They are in a 10x 12 area. I feel bad because my girls sometimes seem like they are afraid of the Roosters. I just want to make sure they are all fine and I don’t need to get rid of one of them.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hi and welcome!. I have 2 Boys with 3 girls and another 4 boys living together. Those are silkies. I've learned to watch the chickens and go by what I see. My 2 groups of silkies have their spats but one always backs down. If your boys scuffle but it doesn't escalate, they are fine. I have more luck with silkies roos being kept together. So what do you see? 

In the past I accidentally ended up with 2 roos and one hen. They were just a family. The roos got into a spat now and then, but all was fine.


----------



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

It's generally recommended one rooster per 10 hens. If you feel that your hens are afraid of the roosters, it's probably true and it might be best to get rid of one of the roosters. 
Or you can establish a "batchelor's pad" coop and pen. It's up to you.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I have 3 roosters with 20 hens, right now it's ok no one is stressed but I'm watching them to see if the dynamics change


----------



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> Hi and welcome!. I have 2 Boys with 3 girls and another 4 boys living together. Those are silkies. I've learned to watch the chickens and go by what I see. My 2 groups of silkies have their spats but one always backs down. If your boys scuffle but it doesn't escalate, they are fine. I have more luck with silkies roos being kept together. So what do you see?
> 
> In the past I accidentally ended up with 2 roos and one hen. They were just a family. The roos got into a spat now and then, but all was fine.


The boys aren't really fighting, one Always backs down but the girls seem to huddle together a lot in a corner which bothers me. Im not sure if they are just chilled or if it's normal. The boys are both younger Roos so maybe they are bothering the girls? I have a heat lamps up for them and have them in an insulated barn. Their stall always seems fine temperature wise so I thought it could be the boys being bullies. My silkie hens are about 7 months old and none of them has started laying. I was thinking possibly due to stress from the boys? Im new to all of this so obviously I could be wrong and thy just take much longer to lay.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

If the hens are huddled in a corner then your young cockerals are probably chasing them due to their hormones .. when I saw mine staying in the coop I removed 5 roosters and the hens came out of hiding


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Oh noooo heat lamp please. They can explode and cause a fire. Chickens don't need heat lamps when they are fully feathered


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I have my heat lamp hanging outside the cage/hutch and aiming at the chicks. I've done that for 10 years.

Hens will always hide at first. That's life. We are nicer to chickens than they are to eachother. They do calm down. Use some obstacles to make it harder for the dudes to catch them. I don't think your ratio is bad. I think eventually they will get along. Silkie hens are not known to be great layers. Mine will for a while, then sit on them. I leave the sitter and remove the eggs. It may take longer for a young hen to lay. When they're ready to lay, they get nicer about having the roos do their thing.


----------



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> I have my heat lamp hanging outside the cage/hutch and aiming at the chicks. I've done that for 10 years.
> 
> Hens will always hide at first. That's life. We are nicer to chickens than they are to eachother. They do calm down. Use some obstacles to make it harder for the dudes to catch them. I don't think your ratio is bad. I think eventually they will get along. Silkie hens are not known to be great layers. Mine will for a while, then sit on them. I leave the sitter and remove the eggs. It may take longer for a young hen to lay. When they're ready to lay, they get nicer about having the roos do their thing.


I love the silkies so much I just wanted them to eventually hatch them out so I can have babies from
My girls. I just don't want them bullied if that's the case. But then I won't get babies if there isn't a boy in there hahaha it's a lose /lose for me. Lol


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Silkies are wonderful. With any chickens, they have to get thru the teenager stage. Put some chicken feed mush in a bowl and see if you can entice them.

The roos are great. They participate in the raising of their children. They form real attachments to eachother. I had removed a hen and chicks one time and the roo stood by the fence all day. I put the hen and chicks back. Raising chicks seems to be a family operation! With the females, one will sit on the eggs and the other hens will steal her spot when she goes to eat. I had a longer flat area for sitting and they would actually use their beaks and roll the eggs to their own nesting area. Silkies end up with really sweet behavior. It's worth the teenage phase.


----------



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

seminolewind said:


> Silkies are wonderful. With any chickens, they have to get thru the teenager stage. Put some chicken feed mush in a bowl and see if you can entice them.
> 
> The roos are great. They participate in the raising of their children. They form real attachments to eachother. I had removed a hen and chicks one time and the roo stood by the fence all day. I put the hen and chicks back. Raising chicks seems to be a family operation! With the females, one will sit on the eggs and the other hens will steal her spot when she goes to eat. I had a longer flat area for sitting and they would actually use their beaks and roll the eggs to their own nesting area. Silkies end up with really sweet behavior. It's worth the teenage phase.


What is chicken feed mush? I would love to make them something they would like.


----------



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I put dry feed in a container and mix with water. They love it. It never has time to spoil.


----------



## dmkrieg (Jul 11, 2017)

nannypattyrn said:


> I put dry feed in a container and mix with water. They love it. It never has time to spoil.


Very nice! I will try that


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

It makes for best friends


----------



## Angela Hamilton (Feb 9, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> Oh noooo heat lamp please. They can explode and cause a fire. Chickens don't need heat lamps when they are fully feathered


Still kind of new to this. I have 23 broiler chickens 8 weeks old. I'm scared they might get too cold. The wind chill this winter has been as low as 9 and in the twenties in the last few days.

At what age are they fully feathered?


----------



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Broiler chickens are meat chickens and are usually ready to be processed at 6-8 weeks old. 
They will eat like hogs and get to the point where their bone structure wont support their weight. Then all they'll do is lay around and wallow in their feces. It might be in your best interest to process them unless you can manage to let them free range and strictly control their feed intake.
Meat on the table.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

It depends if they're fully feathered or not. I think you have to watch their behavior. If they stay tightly clumped together, it's probably too cold for them.


----------

