JuliaSunshine
Songster
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?
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?