# Too many roosters?



## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

I have 7 chickens. I know for sure 3 are cockerels. I'm unsure on 1, and I'm pretty sure the other 3 are pullets. Is it inevitable that I'll have to get rid of some roosters, or is there hope that they'll be one big happy family?


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## aacre (May 5, 2013)

Sometimes, if raised from birth together, two or more roosters will get along okay. But you are very likely going to have some issues with them if you keep a small flock. Just my opinion anyways. I had gotten six chicks and four of them turned out to be roosters. They were okay until they got to be a few months old, and then the pecking order began and I chose to cull three of the roos. :\ At least they were tasty!


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

Hopefully they do okay together. I really don't want to have to get rid of them. I'm trying to convince my husband to build a chicken tractor or separate coop for them if it comes down to it.


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## adorson (Jul 19, 2012)

I have many roosters but also have many girls. I do let them free range during the day and they seem to pick out "turf" to hang out with their girls. They all roost in the same area at night. They have been all raised together. The older roosters helped to raise the younger boys. Now, there is an order so you might see them establishing their order especially once they hit, what I call their teenage years. I do have some spats here but nothing terrible. Once they get through that teenage phase, they do seem to really settle down. Now, I am sure this isn't the case for all roosters and I tend to have the more laid back breeds. Some breeds are more aggressive to each other than others.


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

Yes, I'm worried I don't have enough hens for them to live in harmony. I don't want them beating up on my girls. :/


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## ellis36 (Mar 25, 2013)

blblanchard said:


> Yes, I'm worried I don't have enough hens for them to live in harmony. I don't want them beating up on my girls. :/


They are more likely to beat up on each other until one is determined to be the dominant rooster. After that, he will make the lives of the other two living h*ll, to the point he won't allow them to roost with 'his' flock at night.


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

So what would you do in my situation? My oldest is 11 weeks.


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## ellis36 (Mar 25, 2013)

blblanchard said:


> So what would you do in my situation? My oldest is 11 weeks.


At this point I probably would just wait and see how it works out. But prepare yourself that there will likely have to be some thinning of the herd down the road. There's really no room in the pecking order for that high percentage of roosters.

If they are kept in a coop there is really no need for a rooster unless you need fertile eggs for hatching. Of course they are pretty birds..and that's a consideration for some. Personally, I wouldn't go to the trouble of keeping them in their own pen&#8230;.unless they are show chickens. I would just find them a home somewhere.

If they free range, IMO, a rooster sometimes serves a purpose in keeping track of the flock and keeps them more or less together.

My flock is three years old, free range during the day and I have one rooster. I ended up with two out of the batch and they did OK for about eight months. Then one day, out of the blue, the #2 rooster apparently did something #1 did not approve of and that night #1 would not allow #2 within 200 yards of the barn. Next day the same.

I ended up putting #1 in the pot and kept #2. He's a good rooster&#8230;as long as we do not pay any special attention to his hens. He's very territorial! So far he hasn't attacked my wife. That's a BIG no-no around here.

I can understand you wishing they all can live in harmony.That's what we, as good shepherds of our flocks, have to strive for. And if there is one causing problems, it's our duty to make it right. Even when the troublemaker has to go.

Good luck!

ellis


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

I found a home for one of my boys. We're going to keep two and see how well they do. Thanks for your advice!


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

Okay, so I can't give him up. I love them all too much. My husband and I are thinking about expanding our coop. He asked me how much bigger we would need to make it. How many hens would I need for 4 roosters to live harmoniously together. I have a silkie, cuckoo marans, mottled cochin bantam, and buff orpington roo. If I had 16 hens, would that be enough to keep the squabbles to a minimum?


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## EdisNiksic (Apr 1, 2013)

More like 25-30 hens would be needed for 4 roos. And even after that they still might not get along


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

Dang. I don't think my husband will agree to having that many.


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## EdisNiksic (Apr 1, 2013)

But since u have a silkie and a cochin the number can be lower, because they are very calm docile breeds.


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## EdisNiksic (Apr 1, 2013)

Just dont know how a maran or BO roo will behave. Never had a roo from those breeds. Maybe someone else can give their thoughts on those two breeds


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

Thank you. We're going to expand our coop as much as we can afford and fill it with as many hens as possible. Hopefully it all works out. If I end up having to get rid of some roosters, at least I can say I tried. I already told the lady I was going to give him to that we changed our mind. She seemed to understand.


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

I have lived with 6 roosters for 3 years. In the Spring I purchased 18 pullet peeps from the feed store. After they came home and were settling in, a hen decided to sit on eggs and gave me 5 peeps. Once everything was said and done, my 18 pullets had two roosters, and my hen gave me 4 roosters. They were similar age, but the feed store peeps were introduced to the flock sooner, and those two roosters became #1 and #2.

Also, the father of the hens peeps was a docile Delaware.

So. At the time I had somewhere around 28 hens to 6 roosters. They weren't too bad that summer into the fall, but in the Spring all Hell broke loose when one decided he didn't want to be at the bottom of the pack. He picked a fight with everyone and everyone beat him to a pulp. They were all covered in blood and a week of this made me quite nuts. My dog quickly learned how to break them up, and when two or more other fights were going on at the same time I was out there, in the thick of it with a broom, sometimes the garden hose.

I had a plan to take out 4 of them before they reached maturity, but I no longer have a person in my household willing to kill chickens for me, and I'm not great with the gun. So I lived with them. The second Spring came and the fighting resumed.

Now, they are all three, my hens are down to 15 and 5 roosters are still alive. The ONLY reason it works is because they have a lot of room to get away from each other. When the girls are mingling in the yard there is a clear distance between each rooster, a good 12 feet and if one gets too close, the others move away. Cocky Rocky is my top man and he beats them all down quite easily. I have learned with other roosters through the years to never mix ages, never. Since they are all the same age it is working, but the one troublemaker rears his head on occasion and he usually ends up a bloody mess.

The troublemaker isn't allowed near the coop when the other roosters are around, so he eats when they leave and at night he sleeps in the tree. The top 2 roosters go in the coop with the ladies and #3 and #4 wait outside until EVERYONE is on the roost and it's almost dark before going inside.

If you have patience, a lot of room and a tolerance for drama and blood, then you should be okay, but with that low of a hen/rooster ratio may be it's own issue.


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

Roslyn, that gives me hope! Thanks.


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## blblanchard (Mar 12, 2013)

My husband agreed to 25!! We ordered some from Ideal and we're picking some up locally. I'm so excited!


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