As I mentioned in yesterdayâs post about the house where Joan Crawford (aka Faye Dunaway) lived in Mommie Dearest, I have become just a wee-bit obsessed with the 1981 film as well as the 1978 autobiography of Joanâs daughter, Christina Crawford, on which it was based.
Hens will lay nutritious eggs without having a rooster around. A virile rooster will mate frequently with most or all the hens in his harem. If there arenât enough girls to divide his time among, he may wear them out. This can cause damage to the hensâ combs, necks, and backs from the roosterâs beak and spurs. Generally, a good minimum ratio is 8-10 hens per rooster.
Hens will lay eggs without a rooster but if you want your eggs to be fertilised so that they can produce chicks then you will need a rooster. If you are planning on having a small backyard flock then it is best not to have a rooster as they can be noisy (crowing at daybreak) and some of them can get quite aggressive.rom the time your chicks hatch until 6 weeks of age you will need to feed them chick starter mash with a protein level of 20 percent. It is important that you feed your baby chicks different food to your laying hens as the extra calcium that the older birds need for laying eggs is actually detrimental to baby chicks.