Rhode Island Red Rooster and Hen

[tdmason]

I have a HUGE rhode island red rooster that has been in a pen by himself and not with the other hens in which they were just mixed breeds. I just bought a hen and was wanting to put them together to see if she would hatch some eggs from him because he is just such a big, pretty rooster. I was wondering if that is ok to have just a pair or if he would just aggravate the stew out of her. I have a nesting box in the pen but the pen is a little small. I am guessing a 6x6 or 8x8. I have plans to make it larger here soon just waiting on some more panels to come in. Any ideas? Also, how do you go about introducing a rooster and hen together? I have never had him with a hen but he was older when I got him so not sure if he has been or not.

 

[Mahonri]

I currently have 16 hens with 1 roo and he still wears a couple of them thin... (no feathers on their backs!) I wouldn't put her in there alone with him.

 

[tdmason]

I really just wanted her to hatch a group of eggs because I wanted to keep the hens so do you think if I put her in there a little while and then seperated her? I'm not sure how the whole breeding and hatching part goes...LOL! I just like to eat the eggs that is why I keep my rooster seperate. I had a rooster before when my hens were free range and had some hatchlings off one hen but the dang hawks got most of them. I have a large covered pen now so wanted to give it another shot. Does a rooster have to mate with a hen everyday for eggs to get fertilized?