Roosters

If you've followed my blog at all you know I might be slightly obsessed not only with chickens but especially my roosters.  When you hatch your own eggs and raise them, you do tend to get an attachment to them and the cockerels (young male chickens) tend to be more personable.  The above is a picture of one of my young roosters, Pepper.  He is currently in a pen with his "brother," Pip (a silkie cross young rooster).

I have some hard decisions in the future because I already have too many roosters and I don't have a place to put either of them permanently.  On top of that, they have begun to fight each other because they are in such close quarters right now.

I know it's not much to be too newsworthy but I wanted to take the opportunity to mention that you can house roosters together if they have been raised together.  You can actually have "bachelor" colonies fairly successfully if you need to keep spare roosters around (in case one of your main ones are taken by a predator or some accident).

It is generally recommended that you keep 1 rooster per 10 hens for good fertility and not having your hens overworked by roosters.  I have heard more or less also (as few as 8 and as many as 15 hens per rooster).  I personally think that 1 rooster per 10 to 15 hens is a pretty ideal ratio.  I do have a pen with 1 rooster and 4 hens and there has not been a problem with overmating but he is also an older (about 3-4 years old now), more mature, rooster.

Also, remember that you DO NOT have to have a rooster to get eggs.  hens lay eggs regardless.  A rooster is good for keeping peace in the flock and watching out for predators. His warning signals can send hens running for cover in a flash.  It is quite a sight to watch.

How about you?  What do you do with your extra roosters besides rehoming or processing them?