Ratio Of Hens To Roosters
19 May
“I would like to know the maximum number of hens one should have in the coop per rooster. We have 62 hens and one 2-year-old rooster that is seemingly doing his job. But, we set some eggs in the incubator and only four hatched. We were thinking maybe he has too many hens. We do have three other young roosters in the coop but the older rooster won’t allow them even close to the hens.
They are showing signs of “interest” to the hens, but when they head toward a hen, the older rooster puts them in their place. So my questions are: 1) Should we take out the older rooster and allow the three younger ones to fertilize the hens and 2) The maximum number of hens one rooster should have.” ~ Tonia Rose
Hi Tonia thanks for the question.
The number of hens a rooster can attend to depends on a few factors; age, health, environment and breed.
Chickens, hens and roosters are most fertile in their first two years. A young rooster can handle more hens than an older one.
Optimum health in both the hens and roosters is necessary to get the best hatchability.
Environmental conditions like sanitation, nutrition and safety from predators will also affect hatchability. Anything that would slow production of eggs can also affect fertility.
Assuming all the above points are ideal, breed is the last determining factor. (more…)
