Should I get a rooster?

[lcourtneymom]

We are first time chicken owners. We got our babies this spring and chose to get sexed buff Orpingtons. They did all turn out to be female. Now that our girls are big and laying I’m wondering if we should get a rooster.
We have six hens. They stay in a coop/run much of the day but we let them out to free range for a couple of hours in the late afternoon/evening before bed. I wonder if a rooster would help keep them safe.
I’ve gotten mixed opinions from friends with chickens. Some like having a rooster. Others have told me how mean they are.
So should I get a rooster? I’d love to have opinions!

 

[chickenlittle21]

I personally like having roosters. I recommend a brown leghorn roo

 

[Little Doe Homestead]

You should totally get one! Well, provided it won't be an issue with your neighbors. They will help keep your hens safe, they're very protective. They're also often extremely ornamental, gorgeous, and entertaining/silly. Keep in mind, they'll breed your hens... a lot. So monitor their back and wings, especially during peak breeding season because they will lose all of their feathers and sometimes the skin gets super irritated. Not much you can do about that, other than pen up your roo for a week or two, allow some feathers to return, moisturize the hens skin and start again. With 6 hens, get no morethan 1. We have 5 for 35 hens. I think they're great!

 

[Oncoming Storm]

It all depends on the breed. I have a rooster issue right now due to bad luck. All of my boys are nice and respectful except for my sebright who is tiny. The only mean roosters I’ve had were a dominecker and broiler cross. I currently have four turkens, three silkies, a silkie cross, barnyard mix, sebright and I think that’s all of my roosters?? They’re good with stopping hen fights and have done good jobs at watching over the flock. I think a rooster would be a good addition especially if you wanted to hatch eggs eventually.

 

[3KillerBs]

One thing to consider about getting a rooster is what you will do with him if he doesn't work out -- if he's aggressive to you or to the hens or otherwise troublesome.

I am weird, I love the crowing. But you need to know that they don't just crow at dawn. They crow often and at any time of night or day when it takes their fancy to do it. (And some have nicer voices than others).

If you have a rooster you will have fertile eggs and you might end up with chicks. Half those chicks will be male. Are you able to make the hard decisions about their fate?

 

[MoffatChicken]

I had hens only for 4 years and for the last 5 I have had "Sir". The behavior of the flock has greatly improved and we lost 11 hens in the first 4 years and 3 in the last 5 because he either rushes them to safety or makes so much noise I come running. Also there are less fighting among the girls, the roo doesn't allow it. I think the hens feel safer and calmer among each other because with one clear leader they don't need to fight..... So I would say yes

 

[Ruthster55]

How big is your lot? I would only recommend a rooster if you are on 1/2 acre or more and the neighbors aren’t too close.

I like their crowing much more than, say, incessant duck quacking. But not everyone wants a 5:15 am alarm clock. How close are the neighbors?

Do you have predator problems? A rooster might be helpful with that.

I have heard that Buff Orpington roos are pretty gentle. Keep in mind that Orpingtons sometimes go broody and will hatch chicks.

I would get an older Buff Orpington rooster, if you are so inclined. Young roosters can be jerks.

 

[black_cat]

First: Is it legal for you to have a rooster?
Second: Do you have neighbors who will care about you having a rooster?
Third: Can you tolerate crowing at all hours?
A good rooster will help keep your hens safe. A bad rooster will just be mean to them.
Roosters are definitely great protectors when you get a good one. You most likely want to adopt an adult rooster instead of dealing with a cockerel, as without older roos to teach cockerels can be quite a handful. You want to get a rooster that is not human aggressive, and it not aggressive to other chickens. There are INFINITE roosters up for adoption, on BYC, craigslist, facebook, shelters, you name it.

 

[Folly's place]

Be careful about adopting a cockerel or rooster from another flock, because it's possible to bring in diseases to your birds that won't go away! Read up on biosecurity issues before taking that step.
All the posters have already mentioned possible other things to consider!
Because I am paranoid about biosecurity, and have experience raising cockerels, here we either raise our own chicks, or buy straight run chicks, preferably in spring, and then select possible 'keepers' out of the year's group of cockerels.
Your adult hens will help educate new cockerels next spring, super helpful, and you can decide what breeds look interesting, or if you plan to raise chicks, who would be a good mix with your flock. It's fun!
Some breeds tend to have a higher % of 'nice guys' that others, but roosters come good, bad, and ugly in any breed. How they are raised matters, and so does their genetics, so you need to be ready with 'Plan B' or 'Plan C' as necessary.
"Nasty roosters taste best!" are words to live by!!!
Here we have three breeding groups, and we want to have two boys for every group, so six cockerels and roosters, who have to be polite to all humans, the hens and pullets, and each other. It works, and if there are issues, adjustments are made.
I think the flock is made complete with roosters present...
Mary