hens life without a rooster?

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That's kind of sad
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We had two roosters for awhile, but they were rough on the girls! They had to go to ......heaven. Anyway, my oldest hen, Sam has taken over, and she is large and in charge. Keeps everyone in line, patrols the run like a little general! She even killed a oppossum, it was small, but still, she killed it. So, mine do not miss a rooster at all, and frankly, neither do I!
 
For me the strange birds are those that do not change behavior when rooster absent. More than once my hens, when a rooster was absent, have demonstrated abilty to move at least 1/4 mile to get to rooster they could only hear in distance. Roosterless hens in my experience tend to be quiter at all times except following egglaying when they cackle more.
 
My girls do fine without a rooster.
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(Not to mention I'd get evicted if I had one!)

Though I did read that a hen may drop an ovary and turn male if there's over 5 hens, so it's risky- the more females you have, the higher the risk of getting a transgender hen going male to keep the flock 'surviving'! (And a lone male rooster can turn female and lay eggs if it's the only one left... LOL)
 
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Wow. Chickens sure have talent
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I just got a batch of Dorking chicks. I plan to keep the best Roo out of the bunch, but he wont take charge for several weeks. And I think our EE Roo is ready for the fryer now @ 16 weeks. There will just be a gap of time without a roo until the new man of the house takes over. Hopefully he will be a better man!
 
I'm going to have to agree with the above because I'm experiencing this myself. My EE Dottie who was laying up until last September, went through a molt and has not laid since, and since we moved up here to Brighton on more land, she has started crowing. The past 2 weeks I here the crowing but didn't want to jump out of bed to see who it was. Thoiught it was my little SS Hamburg. But Sunday I was up and moving and she started to crow so I zipped out there and there she was trying to be The Man
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. Haven't noticed any other roo antics but that.
 
Nature knows best. Been raising chickens since little boy. Taught by Grandma, born in 1908. Hens need roosters. This is way of life. They lay better. Hens with baby chicks are happiest. In flocks without roosters, at least several hens will try to assume roosters place.

Since getting big RIR rooster have lost no chickens. Those spurs serve purpose. Wouldn't sell my eggs as free range If no rooster with flock. Free range also means natural, something hens without roosters aren't.
 
I had this debate with a friend about keeping a rooster of mine
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Anyway, we weren't sure about hens without a rooster, so I decided to keep him. The hens (I only have 4) were purchased hen saddles before mating began which really helps them a lot during matings.

Up until now, our hens seem perfectly happy with our rooster & he chased a cat out of the coop before making a racket. It was after one of the smaller hens. His spurs are coming through nicely & he has a nice temperament towards his hens & people so I couldn't really imagine not having him now.

I have noticed the hens are more relaxed after I let him out of a morning (he lives indoors at night) because he is always on guard. When he's not out, the hens are more fearful / watchful & it is noticeable. They have had a rooster all their short lives & don't know any different.
 

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