Roosters Pros and Cons

[birdlady79]

i agree that 4 hens are not enough to have a roo...that said, my roo is great. I free range my hens about 3 hrs before night. He finds food for the hens, sounds the alarm when raptors fly over, and calls the hens back to the coop at dusk. He doesn't like me because i pick him up and pet him in front of the hens but he respects me as the alaph...

I'm fixing to have 8 hens... Can I get away with 1 Roo & 8 hens? I know ideally your suppose to have 10

 

[Devon07]

I have 1 roo with 8 hens and it seems that it would be a little easier if there were two more.....that ratio is about right. You can always use extra eggs...lol

 

[birdlady79]

I have 1 roo with 8 hens and it seems that it would be a little easier if there were two more.....that ratio is about right. You can always use extra eggs...lol

I could use extra eggs lol... Room is another story!

 

[karenerwin]

if raised together they can be good pals too.

My RIR roo and EE roo were raised together and now that they are both mature, they are NOT pals! The slightly younger, but much larger, RIR usurped the EE as Alpha rooster and now will only let the EE around to sleep in the coop. The EE flies so he flies to the outer yard, and still tries to have his way with the ladies if he thinks the RIR isn't looking or can't get to him.

 

[lazy gardener]

That's how the flock ensures genetic diversity. One respected writer after observing his flock with several roos, observed that the Alpha would chum around with his favorite hens during one part of the day, and later in the day, he'd chum with the not so favorites, leaving the Beta roo able to do sneak attacks on both groups.

 

[Devon07]

Interesting. I dont care for much craziness in the yard so one roo will work for my 8 soon to be 10.....actually, its fine now but I have room and a few more eggs will be good (if they ever all start to lay that is!)

 

[KatieKanDo]

Don't do it! The neighbors won't like the early morning wake up and the hens don't need fertile eggs ( unless of course you want to incubate eggs). More hassle than they are worth.

 

[richicken]

I agree my neighbors dog can bark all night,my rooster stops when it gets dark.hummm.

 

[Devon07]

Rooster are not just to breed. Roosters are not all the same. Roosters do not always wake the neighbors.(mine are 1/2 mile away! lol) even if they were close my roo doesnt make enough noise to even hear in my own house. My Rooster is no hassle and is worth more than his "Organic" feed and work. He is enjoyable to look at and is a great protector of his gals.

Everyones situation is different as is thier opinion of what is expected from a roo. To assume it will wake a neighbor is a guess at best.....to assume they are a hassle is very wrong to many and dead on to many as well. My hens dont need fertile eggs....nope! not right now.

 

[marilyn2808]

Can you keep roosters together who were raised as chicks separate from hens?