Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

I currently have too many roosters.  I have seven.  According to chicken culture, you should have about one rooster for every 10 to 12 hens.  Earlier in the year, I had about 70 hens so everything was running smoothly.  This particular group of roosters are very nice to have around.  They do their job of continuing their genetic lines, plus they are on constant lookout for predators and work hard to find the best scratching spot for their particular group of ladies.  Best of all they all get along together and I don't have to be on the constant alert for fights.

A problem has developed lately though with the loss of several of my hens.  Something went through the flock and I had a few just drop dead from God only knows what (that just happens sometimes).  I've lost a few to predators (I've got a red tailed hawk that has discovered the chicken buffet here) and then a few were lost to their own stupidity (jumping over the fence into the waiting jaws of my sister's dog qualifies in the stupidity catagory).  Their loss has thrown my numbers off.  I'm averaging about six hens per rooster now and things are getting a bit tense around the barnyard.

This is Champ, my main rooster.  He took the position of main roo with the passing of his father Red.  I haven't got a clue who his mother is, but Champ is about three years old and doing a marvelous job of keeping everybody in line.

My second in line is a black Minorca by the name of Kemosabe.  I bought him about a year and a half ago as a chick and he's quiet handsome.  His biggest downfall is that he crows all the time.  And I mean all the time, 24/7.

 

 

 

The three muskateers come next and I have to look at them really closely to tell them apart.

 

 

 

 

Pigeon is up next but he was being very camera shy the day I was taking pictures and went and hid.

 

Last but not least is the Lone Ranger.  He's at the bottom of the pecking order which makes no sense as he is the largest rooster I have.  I'm guessing that he's about 10 to 12 pounds and he outweighs even Champ.  He doesn't push his weight around, however, and always lets the other roos have precedent.  I worry about him hurting some of the hens, but his personality has saved him from the stew pot so far.

 

 

 

 

 

I keep thinking that I need to get rid of some of them as I'm down so many hens, but this is such a good crew of roosters that I can't bring myself to do it.  I've got so many chicks coming on this spring that I keep hoping they will continue to get along well until I can replace the hens in a few weeks.  Wish me luck.