How to Keep Roosters & Hens

Chickens are kept for a variety of reasons. Hens can lay eggs almost daily can be a ready source of meat and help in pest and weed control. Most of all, chickens are good company and fun to watch. Hens make some noise when they lay an egg, but roosters crow loudly and incessantly every morning. Keeping both roosters and hens together needs careful planning to keep you and them healthy and happy.

Things You'll Need

  • Coop
  • Hen house
  • Roosts
  • Fencing
  • Feed
  • Litter
  • Water dishes
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check your local regulations before getting your chickens. Depending upon your location and community, ordinances may allow hens but not roosters and limit the amount of chickens per household.

    • 2

      Determine your rooster to hen ratio. To get your eggs fertilized, a good rule of thumb is one rooster to every seven or eight hens, according to Penn State Department of Poultry Science. Too many roosters can stress out the hens via dominance and promote fighting among the cocks.

    • 3

      Build or provide proper housing. The coop needs to be predator-proof with an adequate size of 4 squre feet per chicken. Hens need a box to lay their eggs (at least two for six chickens) in seclusion with a roost for them to sleep on allowing them to stay off the floor at night. Use lots of high carbon litter like wood shavings, tree leaves and straw as bedding.

    • 4

      Provide room to roam via a yard (10 square feet per chicken for size) with adequate fencing to keep the chickens in and predators out. Access to the outdoors is essential for healthy chickens. If needed, clip their wings to keep them from escaping.

    • 5

      Feed with high energy food such as cracked corn. Supplement feed with daily treats from the garden such as leafy greens or weeds and home food such as leftover fruits and vegetables. Encourage bugs to hang around for chickens to gobble up.

    • 6

      Collect eggs every day and clean the coop about once a month.