Should I get a rooster?

[Crazy Chicken Lady10]

I currently have three ducks and ten chickens (all hens). I was thinking about getting a silkie rooster but I was concerned about a couple things.
I let my hens free range, even when it’s raining. Most of them take shelter on my patio where it is dry and sometimes I leave the door to my garage open as well. Would a silkie know to take shelter from the rain?
Also, would I have to worry about him mating with my hens? I would love babies, but it would get out of hand and I wouldn’t have the heart to part with any of them. Is there a way to prevent them from mating? I also don’t want to accidentally eat any fertilized eggs. Is it easy to tell if they are fertilized?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

A flock can survive just fine without a rooster, but your eggs will be fertilized. It's not usually difficult to tell. There will be a white "bullseye" on the yolk. You can't stop him from mating them unless you isolate him, which isn't fair. A fertilized egg tastes, and mostly looks, exactly like any other egg. Even the occassional commercial egg had an "oops" rooster in with a flock, and grocery store eggs can be fertilized! That's super unlikely, but what I am saying is you've probably eaten one and never knew it. The eggs will only develop into chicks if you allow a hen to sit on the eggs for 21 days. Even if a hen sits on an egg for a day, there will be no development noticeable to the naked eye. A rooster can be beneficial to a flock if he's a good one. A good rooster will be on the lookout for predators and alert his ladies to danger, but his "service" isn't necessary. If you are completely against fertilized eggs, don't get a rooster. If you can get past fertlized eggs, I suggest you hunt for a "rescue" rooster. Even silkie roosters are often unwanted and easy to find.

Here's one of my fertilized eggs with a "bulls eye" (it was much clearer on my phone than what I'm seeing on my computer though):

 

[FlyAnywayAJ]

I have never owned silkies (so I can’t say specifically for Silkie roosters) but my roosters don’t get out of the rain, they are on guard all the time so if a hen is out then they are also out. Having said that if all the girls go on from the rain then he may just follow them.
If you don’t want to eat fertilized eggs and don’t want chicks then I wouldn’t recommend getting a rooster. Each of my roosters have a dozen (or more) hens and my fertility rates are typically over 90%. You can’t tell if they are fertilized until you crack them (or incubate then of course).

 

[FortCluck]

Silkies are the worse chicken to pick for free ranging. They need to be fenced it because they’re easily picked off by predators.

You need to get a chicken that can visually see without feathers and fluff in the way. Go with a bantam rooster, I find them to be the best for beginners.

 

[FortCluck]

You won’t get any chicks unless you allow them to sit on their eggs. If you get the eggs every single day you won’t have chicks.

I have over 30 hens and 4 cockerels and 2 roosters. I never get any chicks from my eggs unless I incubate them in my incubator or let one of the hens go broody.

Just collect your eggs every single day in the morning and at night.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Would a silkie know to take shelter from the rain?

As much as any other chicken. Unless it gets rough mine tend to like being out in the rain. I think they are looking for earthworms or other tasty creepy crawlies.

Also, would I have to worry about him mating with my hens? I would love babies, but it would get out of hand and I wouldn’t have the heart to part with any of them.

If they are not incubated they won't hatch. Don't put any in an incubator. If a hen goes broody make sure she isn't sitting on any eggs, remove them daily before they develop. Build a broody buster so you can break them from being broody. There is nothing cruel about a broody buster as long as they have food, water, protection from predators, and you don't let it become an oven.

Is there a way to prevent them from mating?

Not if the rooster and hen can get together. The only way to stop them from mating is to not have a rooster to start with or keep them penned up separately. Never let them together.

I also don’t want to accidentally eat any fertilized eggs.

That's your personal choice. That's not mine or the vast majority of humans throughout history but I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. I understand why some people feel that way.

Is it easy to tell if they are fertilized?

If you crack it you can look for the bull's eye. This link tells you what to look for.

Fertile Egg Photos

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[Crazy Chicken Lady10]

A flock can survive just fine without a rooster, but your eggs will be fertilized. It's not usually difficult to tell. There will be a white "bullseye" on the yolk. You can't stop him from mating them unless you isolate him, which isn't fair. A fertilized egg tastes, and mostly looks, exactly like any other egg. Even the occassional commercial egg had an "oops" rooster in with a flock, and grocery store eggs can be fertilized! That's super unlikely, but what I am saying is you've probably eaten one and never knew it. The eggs will only develop into chicks if you allow a hen to sit on the eggs for 21 days. Even if a hen sits on an egg for a day, there will be no development noticeable to the naked eye. A rooster can be beneficial to a flock if he's a good one. A good rooster will be on the lookout for predators and alert his ladies to danger, but his "service" isn't necessary. If you are completely against fertilized eggs, don't get a rooster. If you can get past fertlized eggs, I suggest you hunt for a "rescue" rooster. Even silkie roosters are often unwanted and easy to find.

Here's one of my fertilized eggs with a "bulls eye" (it was much clearer on my phone than what I'm seeing on my computer though):
View attachment 2281769

Thank you this was very helpful the rooster I’m looking into is a rescue

 

[Crazy Chicken Lady10]

Okay thank you

 

[Crazy Chicken Lady10]

Would a silkie know to take shelter from the rain?

As much as any other chicken. Unless it gets rough mine tend to like being out in the rain. I think they are looking for earthworms or other tasty creepy crawlies.

Also, would I have to worry about him mating with my hens? I would love babies, but it would get out of hand and I wouldn’t have the heart to part with any of them.

If they are not incubated they won't hatch. Don't put any in an incubator. If a hen goes broody make sure she isn't sitting on any eggs, remove them daily before they develop. Build a broody buster so you can break them from being broody. There is nothing cruel about a broody buster as long as they have food, water, protection from predators, and you don't let it become an oven.

Is there a way to prevent them from mating?

Not if the rooster and hen can get together. The only way to stop them from mating is to not have a rooster to start with or keep them penned up separately. Never let them together.

I also don’t want to accidentally eat any fertilized eggs.

That's your personal choice. That's not mine or the vast majority of humans throughout history but I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. I understand why some people feel that way.

Is it easy to tell if they are fertilized?

If you crack it you can look for the bull's eye. This link tells you what to look for.

Fertile Egg Photos

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

Thank you for the helpful response

 

[Sonya9]

Why would you want a silkie rooster? Not a snide question but unless you are especially in love with that breed there are likely better choices. Silkies don't see well at all and a rooster's job is watching out for predators, plus if there are predators a silkie could get picked off pretty easy when free ranging.

As others have said you won't get chicks unless your hens sit on the eggs for 3 weeks and most hens will never do that. Your hens likely would have already been trying to hatch their unfertilized eggs if they were likely to go broody.

A tiny adult OEG Bantam rooster is another good option if you don't want fertilized eggs. They are very beautiful, alert and smart but too small to actually breed full sized hens. I have two bantam roosters with my mixed flock, they breed with the bantam hens and try to do the deed with the big girls but can't reach. Regardless they are wonderful little guards that warn the hens of any threats and tidbit for them.