Thoughts on Roosters??

[Ponypoor]

With roos, I don't get low hawk fly-bys buzzing the coop and foraging area. That degree of boldness from hawks ended when I got my first roo and they stayed much higher up. Unfortunately when he passed away (nothing to do with predators) the hawks started buzzing the coop area again. With his sons grown up, the hawks stopped again. While not a total guarantee, I do feel my roos have lowered the aerial threat level. Obviously this will not be the same in all situations.

Also watched my original roo keep a fox from testing the enclosure or trying to dig. I do think the enclosure would have held up just fine, but his striking at the fox kept it from being able to get in close to have a try. His sons also put a stop to an annoying cat that kept coming through every so often and harassing the flock in their enclosure.

My current roos have herded the flock away from snakes on a number of different occasions. Snakes aren't something that comes up much in the topic of predators, but they can still be a problem. This morning they got the hens away from an aggressive one that was giving me problems (got a whole different thread on that). After the main flock was moved away, one of my roos went running around very obviously looking for his chicks even though they only go outside for about half an hour each day; he checked the empty chick tractor over and over again.

One of my roos bites when he's frustrated/confused about what's going on, but he's getting better about it. He puts a lot of effort into keeping the flock together when foraging and follows voice commands for a few things so I will take the occasional nip in exchange for that. He has also stopped a vision-challenged hen I have from doing a runner into the forest when she's been spooked by things.

That’s wonderful, and interesting observation with aerial predators.

My gang relies more upon the Blue Jays, Crows, and Ravens for aerial predators, and also foxes - a crow was pitching a hissy fit, and I thought it was being silly. But it kept circling and buzzing a spot in my paddock, then I saw the Fox. My Roo saw it the same
time also, he called the alert and everyone bolted for the barn.

I encourage the Crows and Blue Jay esp to hang around. And I notice the Roo listens to them and will check to see what they are going on about.

 

[21hens-incharge]

My current cockerel is 15 weeks old. I think he is broken. He has not tried to crow yet.

 

[MaeM]

My chickens are pets so I don't really care if they're male or female, as long as they can get along with each other and with me.

But my roosters had the chance to show me they're useful for the flock, too.

First, they prevent many hierarchy-related fights between the hens. In a ladies-only flock, the most dominant hen will be at the top of the pecking order, like a rooster... until another hen defies her. If there's a rooster, it's clear who is at the top of the pecking order, the hens might "discuss" some positions in the pecking order but the rooster keeps them organized, and I've even seen my roosters interrupt their "arguments" and put them in their place.

Second, I saw them working together to fight a cat - one of them led the hens to safety while the other distracted the cat.

Sure, it was only a domestic cat and this rooster would've died against a real predator (I don't think the cat had intentions to kill an adult chicken), but he gave the rest of the flock an opportunity to run away.

I can also confirm that the presence of a rooster makes hawks think twice about their aerial attacks. And they're like a guard dog, they alert the hens if something is wrong but can also alert you if something's wrong. Or at least my roosters made sure to make a lot of noise when they saw a stranger walking on the neighbor's roof...

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I have had one rooster. I researched nonaggressive breeds that checked all of the boxes I wanted from a flock. My rooster behaves just as @Ridgerunner describes regarding aerial predator alerts and placing himself between hens and a perceived threat (my polka dot coop boots being one of those threats ).
I have watched my rooster round up his favorite hens when they stray 10 meters from him while letting another (Lalala Livvy) wander aimless and alone for hours.
It’s hard to say if a roo will offer protection- we hope he will, but not all have it in them to be successful.
I keep mine bc he’s big, beautiful, alerts well, makes babies and I love the sound of a crowing rooster.

 

[Ponypoor]

My chickens are pets so I don't really care if they're male or female, as long as they can get along with each other and with me.

But my roosters had the chance to show me they're useful for the flock, too.

First, they prevent many hierarchy-related fights between the hens. In a ladies-only flock, the most dominant hen will be at the top of the pecking order, like a rooster... until another hen defies her. If there's a rooster, it's clear who is at the top of the pecking order, the hens might "discuss" some positions in the pecking order but the rooster keeps them organized, and I've even seen my roosters interrupt their "arguments" and put them in their place.

Second, I saw them working together to fight a cat - one of them led the hens to safety while the other distracted the cat.

Sure, it was only a domestic cat and this rooster would've died against a real predator (I don't think the cat had intentions to kill an adult chicken), but he gave the rest of the flock an opportunity to run away.

I can also confirm that the presence of a rooster makes hawks think twice about their aerial attacks. And they're like a guard dog, they alert the hens if something is wrong but can also alert you if something's wrong. Or at least my roosters made sure to make a lot of noise when they saw a stranger walking on the neighbor's roof...

Yes my Roo makes a lot of noise when a stranger comes to the barn - oh unless there is food involved then it’s all out grab and run with treats.

My Roo isn’t the big boss, my old girl Penelope is, and she has decided Mr P is a hunk whom she hangs around - but everyone behaves around Penelope.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

That’s wonderful, and interesting observation with aerial predators.

My gang relies more upon the Blue Jays, Crows, and Ravens for aerial predators, and also foxes - a crow was pitching a hissy fit, and I thought it was being silly. But it kept circling and buzzing a spot in my paddock, then I saw the Fox. My Roo saw it the same
time also, he called the alert and everyone bolted for the barn.

I encourage the Crows and Blue Jay esp to hang around. And I notice the Roo listens to them and will check to see what they are going on about.

Crows and jays seem to always be on the watch for predators, and they are good at doing so. I am interested in all birds, so I listen to the songs and calls around me and attempt to see what they mean. Once, I heard a strange change in the call of a jay outside my window－it sounded like a panicked alarm call I hadn't heard before. If it wasn't for that jay sounding the alarm, I wouldn't have seen the hawk trying to kill the meat birds locked in the chicken tractor.

All of my cockerels and my rooster are good for alarms as well. They will get all of their crowing done in the morning, and then occasionally crow throughout the day, but none of them are noisy. Instead, they mostly only crow when they hear or see a stranger or anything out of the ordinary. My Old English Game Bantam cockerel, Jasper, crows when he hears me far away talking outside because he can't see me and therefore doesn't know who I am.

 

[SLOChick]

Biggest complaint in my township - fireworks!

Causing peoples’ cattle and horses to bolt through fencing, people with PTSD to panic (this is a military town here lot of veterans), peoples pets; the township had soooo many complaints that they made fireworks illegal except for two holidays here (day before and day of, 4 days total).

We can have as many chickens as we want or horses, cows, goats…..

I sometimes wonder what my neighbours think of my noisy hens! My Roo is a quiet boy, but those hens!!!!! Oi boy!

12 hens here, every single one needs to announce they just laid an egg, every day. I think the rooster issues are with roosters crowing all hours, day and night, and the early, early (4:30-5 am) wakeup crowing. That's where I think the neighbors get angry.

 

[SLOChick]

With roos, I don't get low hawk fly-bys buzzing the coop and foraging area. That degree of boldness from hawks ended when I got my first roo and they stayed much higher up. Unfortunately when he passed away (nothing to do with predators) the hawks started buzzing the coop area again. With his sons grown up, the hawks stopped again. While not a total guarantee, I do feel my roos have lowered the aerial threat level. Obviously this will not be the same in all situations.

Also watched my original roo keep a fox from testing the enclosure or trying to dig. I do think the enclosure would have held up just fine, but his striking at the fox kept it from being able to get in close to have a try. His sons also put a stop to an annoying cat that kept coming through every so often and harassing the flock in their enclosure.

My current roos have herded the flock away from snakes on a number of different occasions. Snakes aren't something that comes up much in the topic of predators, but they can still be a problem. This morning they got the hens away from an aggressive one that was giving me problems (got a whole different thread on that). After the main flock was moved away, one of my roos went running around very obviously looking for his chicks even though they only go outside for about half an hour each day; he checked the empty chick tractor over and over again.

One of my roos bites when he's frustrated/confused about what's going on, but he's getting better about it. He puts a lot of effort into keeping the flock together when foraging and follows voice commands for a few things so I will take the occasional nip in exchange for that. He has also stopped a vision-challenged hen I have from doing a runner into the forest when she's been spooked by things.

I actually feed the hawks gophers I catch in my garden. Just chuck the bodies up on top of the horse shelters; the hawks swoop down and fly off with them. I've never had a chicken taken by a hawk, even my bantams. There's an aerie with a hawk pair and their young on my hill. Chickens forage all over on the property (and no roosters here, ever).

 

[Ponypoor]

I actually feed the hawks gophers I catch in my garden. Just chuck the bodies up on top of the horse shelters; the hawks swoop down and fly off with them. I've never had a chicken taken by a hawk, even my bantams. There's an aerie with a hawk pair and their young on my hill. Chickens forage all over on the property (and no roosters here, ever).

I have two pairs of Turkey Vultures nesting next door and I think they keep the hawks away. The chickens run for the barn whenever the vultures fly over, my Roo rarely calls the weaning it’s usually one of the hens who keep watch.

 

[Sheppard hen]

Rooster are nothing more than the first to go when it comes to predators.

Roosters protect the hens?