Do my free ranging hens need a rooster

[JuliaSunshine]

I have nine hens and one rooster that are 7 and a half months old and they free range all day on a couple of acres without fence.
There are lots of predators around like eagles and ravens but I haven't lost a chicken to any.
Light Sussex is supposed to be good at foraging and hiding from predators and also I go out to shoo away ravens whenever the rooster makes an alarm sound. I see him often stand guards when the hens are foraging or dust bathing.
Other people around here lost lots of chickens to ravens and raccoons.

Now I'm thinking of not having the rooster as I'm tired of hearing him crow earlier in the morning and he occasionally chases away 3 chickens so those 3 often stay away from the flock. They seem to have stopped laying whereas other chickens are still laying.

But I'm wondering if my hens will be okay without him.
I know hens also make an alarm sound but it's just like an egg song so I probably wouldn't go out every time they make that noise.
So it's nice to have a rooster that warns me of any danger even though he's the most scared of them all. He'll be the first one running away.
I also like the fact that my hens usually form a group around him.
I was going to have chicks from him next year but I'm not sure he's even capable of fertilizing eggs. I haven't seen any eggs fertilized yet.
Also I might just skip the next year and get chicks the following year.

How are other hens doing that free range without a rooster? Do they still stick to each other and hide well from predators?

 

[azygous]

To keep a roo or not is a toss-up as to benefits.

A roo does stay alert to danger and alerts the flock, but if it came to a confrontation with a predator, you hear many stories of the roo sacrificing himself to protect the hens, meaning he usually doesn't survive.

Hens do manage to keep an alert eye out, and their survival is about the same as it is if a roo were present.

Only you can weigh your benefits against trading in your roo. All in all, though, having a rooster or not having one isn't all that critical to the survival of your flock.

 

[centrarchid]

In my setting roosters make is easier to find flock that is some distance away when likely in a place I can't see directly from the house. The rooster is often the one I hear alerting me to predator issue. I can fight predator or be a very effective deterrent.

The only predator my roosters consistently help with are hawks targeting younger chickens and sometimes hens. Those predators are much less of an issue than larger mammalian predators and those that come calling at night. Rooster does not help much with those.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Do you have wide open space or wooded? Someone mentioned this in another thread about free range and I have to agree that because my free range space for my 11 hens, no rooster is both open and wooded it's advantageous and likely the reason why even though I'm on river frontage with many frying predators (I don't consider Raven a threat though) I've never had a loss.

 

[Ridgerunner]

he occasionally chases away 3 chickens so those 3 often stay away from the flock. They seem to have stopped laying whereas other chickens are still laying.

Have you actually seen him chase them away? I find that some hens really like to stick close to a rooster while others may form cliques and go wondering on their own. Some roosters seem to try to keep the hens near him while most of mine let them go if they want to. The eggs are fertile either way. The larger the flock the more likely you are to see some cliques go wandering. I see this having more to do with the hen's choice than the rooster.

Are you sure they have stopped laying or are they hiding a nest in you?

But I'm wondering if my hens will be okay without him. .............. He'll be the first one running away.

Some people would not have a flock without a rooster whether they free range or not, they like them that much. Others are quite happy to have a free ranging flock of all hens, no rooster. Roosters do seem to be pretty vigilant looking for predators, mainly flying predators. The good ones try to keep peace within the flock, not all are good. Often the dominant hen will take on some of those roles if you don't have a mature rooster.

One thing I've noticed. If there is a perceived danger but they are not sure, a good rooster will put himself between the flock and the possible danger and sort of check it out. This puts him at more risk. Some roosters have been observed attacking some predators. But I agree with you. Mine are much more likely to try to lead the flock to safety once a real threat has been observed than to fight a rear guard action.

I was going to have chicks from him next year but I'm not sure he's even capable of fertilizing eggs. I haven't seen any eggs fertilized yet. ................ I have nine hens and one rooster that are 7 and a half months old

He's still a cockerel though it sounds like he has some attributes of a more mature rooster. He should be fertilizing the eggs, assuming they are laying. Are you saying you don't see him mate with the pullets or are you not seeing the bull's eye when you crack an egg? It doesn't matter that much what he is doing today as far as mating. Many males crank it up when the warm days of spring show up. I would not be concerned yet.

How are other hens doing that free range without a rooster? Do they still stick to each other and hide well from predators?

This is a question there is no universal answer to. Some work out fine, some don't. We are all unique with different flocks, different predator pressure, different management techniques, and who knows what else. I don't know what will happen to yours either way. My worst predators have been dogs abandoned in the country, much worse than foxes, coyotes, or any flying predator.

 

[centrarchid]

Some of the variation in rooster impacts on free-range hen behavior is a function of season and sex ratio. During production season my hens forage more intensely while in the presence of a rooster. If the sex ratio is too much in favor of hens, the hens act much of the time as if the rooster is not present. Some hens are more prone to hang with rooster throughout the day while others seem to gravitate towards only when he gives a tidbit call, or they wish to mate.

 

[JuliaSunshine]

To keep a roo or not is a toss-up as to benefits.

A roo does stay alert to danger and alerts the flock, but if it came to a confrontation with a predator, you hear many stories of the roo sacrificing himself to protect the hens, meaning he usually doesn't survive.

Hens do manage to keep an alert eye out, and their survival is about the same as it is if a roo were present.

Only you can weigh your benefits against trading in your roo. All in all, though, having a rooster or not having one isn't all that critical to the survival of your flock.

Thank you. I still can't decide but it's good to hear that hens manage to survive without a rooster. My roo ran away leaving the hens behind when a dog chased them and when a chipper showed up and he didn't come back until everything was over and safe. So I'm not sure if he'll sacrifice himself for the hens lol. But he's protective of the hens against us humans...

 

[JuliaSunshine]

In my setting roosters make is easier to find flock that is some distance away when likely in a place I can't see directly from the house. The rooster is often the one I hear alerting me to predator issue. I can fight predator or be a very effective deterrent.

The only predator my roosters consistently help with are hawks targeting younger chickens and sometimes hens. Those predators are much less of an issue than larger mammalian predators and those that come calling at night. Rooster does not help much with those.

Yes, my rooster's alarm has been useful, too. I wonder without him, how my hens will let me know when it's dangerous. Unless a whole bunch of them go crazy at once, I wouldn't necessarily go out when I hear them as they are often noisy.

 

[JuliaSunshine]

Do you have wide open space or wooded? Someone mentioned this in another thread about free range and I have to agree that because my free range space for my 11 hens, no rooster is both open and wooded it's advantageous and likely the reason why even though I'm on river frontage with many frying predators (I don't consider Raven a threat though) I've never had a loss.

My space is both open and wooded, too. they move around or hide and rest as they please. Do your hens make an alarm sound when there's bird of prey around? If they do, isn't it just the same as the one they make after they lay an egg? How do you tell if it's an egg song or an alram?

 

[azygous]

Once you've heard both the egg song and the alarm staccato chatter, it's easy to discern which is which. The first is emphatic without being frantic. The latter is the epitome of frantic desperation and panic.