Paring down chickens...

[FourRingCircus]

I currently have a LOT of chickens - too many for the coop/run set up and we just don't have the time or financial means to get something else set up like I had hoped (eventually I want a larger flock so that I can sell more eggs... I guess now is not the time). We live in an area with a lot of immigrants and fairly frequently I have people stop to ask if I am selling any chickens. I think I might finally just say yes (depending on how much they are wanting to spend). I have a huge variety, and have a handful I know I want to keep. There are a few that I am for sure going to part with. Then some others that I am not sure of. Trying to decide just how many to keep...

2 roosters (one is a BLRW, although very light in color. More of a splash (I think?). The other is his son/grandson that has a bit of black australorp mixed in... beautiful dark color and lacing! And both have very nice demeanors which is the #1 reason they are staying).

5 dominiques - haven't started laying yet
5 or 6 ameracaunas/EEs (the ones that lay blue eggs) - 5 haven't started laying, 1 is a little older

Then a few of my homegrown mutts. One of which is a houdini that I can't keep penned up, but is an awesome broody mama.

The BAs are a few years old, they can go. A couple that DH's cousin brought in can go as well. (They are looking more for meat than layers). Then some more roosters that are starting to mature from this past summer.

Would 15 or so hens be enough for 2 roosters?

Then come spring maybe we can expand and I can get a couple breeds that I have been wanting for a while...

 

[RHodgson]

15 hens is barely enough for two roosters. They'll fight a little, but not a ton (which they'll do no matter how many hens you give them).

My question is - why keep two roosters? What's the point? If you want protection, one will do it. If you want fertile eggs, one will do it as well.

Why put up with the headache of two?

 

[FourRingCircus]

At this point it's not a headache, and it's a bit of insurance I guess. I would like to keep those genes in my flock if at all possible... we live out in the country so if a predator would get my only one I would be hugely frustrated/upset/angry.

 

[Marinea]

We have 13 hens and two roosters right now. No problem with fighting, but they do free range during the day. If the roosters have a decent temperament, I think it will be fine.

 

[RHodgson]

At this point it's not a headache, and it's a bit of insurance I guess. I would like to keep those genes in my flock if at all possible... we live out in the country so if a predator would get my only one I would be hugely frustrated/upset/angry.

That's fair. We always had one rooster for 18-20 hens. Then the fox moved in next door and ate him. Spending the next 6 months with no fertilized eggs to hatch/sell was a little rough (and a lesson learned).

2 should be fine with that many hens if they have room to move around. They may fight a little, but that's sort of their hobby, so no problems.