Roosters Pros and Cons

[Stiggy]

I agree that you need more hens as a ratio. I'm pro rooster all the way .I live on the edge of the city so hawks are not a problem however large passing birds can be. ( someone around us has swarming pidgins and doves) my boys run with my flock of 19 girls and one always checks the brooding hens to check in. Other than looking nice, breeding purposes, they offer protection from the swarming birds and they alert when cats come in as well, they gather everyone up either back in the house, in the dog house or in a corner and run off and fight the cats. The dog usually comes to the rescue and the cats scatter away. So yes I'm pro rooster for flock protection, breeding and they are just handsome mellow boys

 

[Pretty Chickens]

I agree that you need more hens as a ratio. I'm pro rooster all the way .I live on the edge of the city so hawks are not a problem however large passing birds can be. ( someone around us has swarming pidgins and doves) my boys run with my flock of 19 girls and one always checks the brooding hens to check in. Other than looking nice, breeding purposes, they offer protection from the swarming birds and they alert when cats come in as well, they gather everyone up either back in the house, in the dog house or in a corner and run off and fight the cats. The dog usually comes to the rescue and the cats scatter away. So yes I'm pro rooster for flock protection, breeding and they are just handsome mellow boys

I also have 15 hens an one rooster but mine are still small. I want little ones so I want to incubate eggs.

 

[rc4u]

i am 60 yrs old and have been arond chickens since birth and my first job at 12 was at the turkey farm 1/4 mile down the road south of glenwood minn.. i collected eggs and fed helped with fertilizing and took care of the baby turkeys...and man are they dumb in big flocks...
it seems theres a lot of first timers posting and maybe even with like 6 or 7 month old roos...believe me those roos will chang after they mature....when i order chicks straight run i watch the roos till about 18 weeks then butcher...i keep one or two that dont fight or if theres a fight they come to the rescue..these are not the alphas at the time, ever...and when they range they will interact with the hens instead of chasing them when at food and such...after the butcher the flock totally changes after a week or two. it is not easy at first to know which is gonna be good roos. you have to just keep at it after a few flocks...and if you only have one or two roos its even harder to master...i am in no way an expert and dont claim....just my experiance and observations...and asking which one to kepp from on forums is totaly impossible...you have to be around them ..just a ramble and nothing to do now at work...jeff

 

[song of joy]

If you have hens primarily for eggs, education and entertainment, and if you don't intend to breed your hens, then I think roosters are much more trouble than they're worth. Most of the time the roosters that will protect their flock are also those who will be aggressive to humans. It's NOT fun being attacked by a rooster . . . even once. Yes, you will occasionally find a nice, non-aggressive rooster that is nice to humans AND his hens, but the odds are not in your favor. ALSO - it is recommended that you have at least 10 hens for 1 rooster. Small, backyard flocks of laying hens often have 3 to 6 hens (too few hens to keep a rooster).

Pros: potential protection of the flock (but not all roosters do a good job in this regard); beauty of the rooster; potential ability to produce more chicks (IF one of your hens will go broody).

Cons: noise (crowing); attacks on humans (most roosters are aggressive, especially beginning around 1 year of age); loss of feathers on the hens' backs (due to breeding); more feed use (to support the rooster); potential drop in egg production (due to harassment of hens by rooster)

 

[SharkmanDan]

After reading some more, I have 1 more question... My hens, well 3 of them are pets... They eat out of my hands and all that fun stuff... With a rooster, say an aggressive rooster, can you still feed the hens out if your hands? I've read on here where a rooster will attack during feeding.. What do you do? How do you put the food down?

Both of my Roos, are complete gentlemen, when it comes to feeding. I believe it is for two different reasons, though. But, I'm no expert, and can't say, for certain. I just observe them, for a few hours, whenever they are out of the coop.

My Australorp (Alpha) simply refuses to eat (be it out of my hand, off the ground, or out of the feeder) until the girls have eaten quite a bit. He takes care of them, and looks after them, and checks in on the ones singing the egg song, in the coop.

My Rose Comb RIR (in my avatar, for now) is the Beta. He's just a bit younger, and was raised amongst most of my layers. But, when we brought him, and the girls home, those girls immediately, became the Australorp's girls, and he was forced to play second fiddle. If he tries to "interact" with one of the mature hens, from the mature hen coop, the Australorp, will run him off. They don't physically fight, but, one will chase the other, until he is satisfied that interaction, is over. But, the RIR, continues to try to find a way, to cozy up to any of the girls, that will have him.

So, since we truly like both Roos, and neither is mean, nor is either aggressive towards us, our solution, is to build another coop, and run, and give him a flock of his own. We have nearly 60 growing out, now. Many, were bought as straight run, in sets of five, so, there are bound to be a few more Roos in the bunch. But, the RC RIR, will be the next one, given his own harem of girls. The rest, we just need to see how they interact, to decide, what will be their fates.

 

[cowhlb]

I have a problem! We have had one Dark Brahma rooster for about 3 years and he got sick and couldn't walk and we thought he was going to die. But he didnt. He is perfectly fine now. So when we thought he was soon going to pass we ordered chicks. We included a rooster in te batch but we think it died when it was a baby. But they always put in an 'exotic chick'. It always is a roo. So we have 2 roosters now. The young one is still in the brooder as of now. They will be going into the flock in about 3 weeks. Will my larger rooster kill the young one? Whag should I do?

 

[kalibus330]

I know it's not dealing with roosters but my new chicks and their 3 moms

 

[SharkmanDan]

Awwww! Look at those little cuties.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Why rooster do you think would be best for my flock?

I have 15 hens/pullets. Most are bantam and several polish.
I want a friendly rooster
Protective over his hens and treats them well
Medium sized.
Chance on a certain breed being less vocal?
A unique breed
Cold hardy

Why do you all think?

 

[Pretty Chickens]

I have a problem! We have had one Dark Brahma rooster for about 3 years and he got sick and couldn't walk and we thought he was going to die. But he didnt. He is perfectly fine now. So when we thought he was soon going to pass we ordered chicks. We included a rooster in te batch but we think it died when it was a baby. But they always put in an 'exotic chick'. It always is a roo. So we have 2 roosters now. The young one is still in the brooder as of now. They will be going into the flock in about 3 weeks. Will my larger rooster kill the young one? Whag should I do?

You need to be very careful because some do kill the little roosters, because its competition. Rooster take good care of there own. I have 12 7 week hens and I have 3 hens that is 4 weeks with a small rooster 4 weeks old, and the big ones don't like the little ones. The little rooster sticks up for his small hens. He looks so cute All puffed up trying to be a rooster but a big rooster would of killed him.