Chook Me!

What if you get 2-3 or more roosters from a hatchery?

What if you ordered day old chicks from a hatchery and you got 2-3 roosters. Because I heard that you have to have 1 rooster to every 6-8 hens or something. What would you do? How can you make sure you get all hens or maybe just one rooster? I really don't want any roosters. I am a total novice chicken person, but I am really interested in maybe eventually buying some chickens.

Public Comments

1. When you order baby chicks from the hatchery you can specify that you want hens. You may not get 100% hens but it is usually quite close. Should you get a few roosters then you simply raise them until they are broilers, then butcher and fry them.
2. When you order chicks from a hatchery you can order sexed birds. They come in straight runs ( unsexed birds), pullets (hens) and cockerels (roosters). Sexing birds isn't an exact science but it will reduce your chances of acquiring too many cocks. A good poultry book will help you. In the event you end up with too many roosters just keep them they will work it out. Chances are you might loose some but that happens.
3. When you buy from a hatchery you can choose sexed or unsexed chicks. If you order sexed chicks and choose pullets (young hens) you will have a 10% chance of getting cockerels (young roosters). In the past when I have ordered pullets that percentage was very accurate.