The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is personal preference. Since we are all different we all have different preferences and experiences.
Each rooster is an individual, they don’t all act the same way. There is a whole lot of debate in here whether that is learned or inherited. I think a lot of it is both.
Some roosters will defend their flock with their life. Mine tend to lead the flock to safety when a threat is identified, not put themselves between the risk and the flock. But they are really good watchdogs, always looking for danger. They are good at sounding the alarm. If there is something suspicious going on but they are not sure, they normally position themselves between the flock and the unknown, even going to investigate. Some are better at this than others. They do add some to security, some a lot more than others.
To do his job the rooster has to be the unquestioned flock master. Unless the hens respect him and accept his dominance, he cannot break up fights and keep peace in the flock, keep eggs fertile, they might not listen to him when he does find them food or even warn of danger. Some roosters have a strong dominant personality that demands and receives respect from the hens, others don’t. I find the ones that are less self-confident and less sure of themselves tend to be more brutal to the hens because the only way they can gain respect is by physical force. I also think the less self-confident roosters are more likely to become human aggressive because they are more likely to be nervous or unsure of themselves.
The hens play a part in this too. Some hens will squat for anything in spurs while others won’t accept any rooster as their master. Most hens and most roosters work all this out when they mature but some individual chickens can really disrupt the peace of the flock. There is some luck involved. A flock with mature good roosters and mature good hens is really peaceful but just one bad chicken, male or female, can disrupt flock dynamics.
Some roosters become human aggressive, some don’t. Some may be OK with you but if someone else shows up to take care of them when you are out of town, they may be attacked. Some roosters may not really be attacking the human but go after a certain pair of shoes or a certain color of pants. Some roosters are fine, no matter what.
Kids are more vulnerable. Part of that is that they are smaller so their eyes are more at a danger level. Part of it is that they tend to move quickly or with jerky movements and can do things that are perceived as a threat to the flock. They don’t walk, they run. People have been keeping free ranging flocks with roosters on small farms for thousands of years. The kids are normally the ones that gather eggs and do other chores around the flock. It’s normally not a problem, but things do happen when you deal with living animals. If a kid is attacked that rooster is generally eaten and another rooster brought in.
Roosters are normally the prettiest chicken you have. Some people really like the sound of a rooster crowing, some really hate that. When they are chicks the males normally have a lot more personality than the females. They are generally your favorites if you interact with the chicks. With a lot of them, the instincts to check things out kicks in pretty early. That’s why they have personality.
If you don’t have a rooster one of the hens will be the flock master. Sometimes these dominant hens take on a whole lot of the duties of the rooster, breaking up fights, keeping peace in her flock, watching for danger, all that. Sometimes you may not even be sure which one is dominant because the master hen is so laid back. Each chicken is a unique individual and each flock has its own dynamics.
I do think you need more space if you add a rooster than with an all-hen flock. There are certain flock dynamics that work better. If you have multiple roosters like One Chick Two, it becomes critical.
If you are not used to it or are seeing it for the first time, normal chicken mating can appear quite brutal. Especially bad is when you have an adolescent flock. The males tend to mature before the females and hormones are running wild and out of control. The pullets have not matured enough to do their part, the cockerels have not learned technique or control and have not matured enough to have the self-confidence it takes to win respect. Chicken mating, especially involving adolescents, is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, not often but sometimes, chickens can be injured. This is another time that extra room is really good.
Some people would not dream of a flock without a rooster, others don’t want anything to do with a rooster. We all have different goals, experiences, and set-ups. It comes down to a personal choice. If you do decide to try a rooster, it may work out great or you may need a plan B.
Good luck!
Each rooster is an individual, they don’t all act the same way. There is a whole lot of debate in here whether that is learned or inherited. I think a lot of it is both.
Some roosters will defend their flock with their life. Mine tend to lead the flock to safety when a threat is identified, not put themselves between the risk and the flock. But they are really good watchdogs, always looking for danger. They are good at sounding the alarm. If there is something suspicious going on but they are not sure, they normally position themselves between the flock and the unknown, even going to investigate. Some are better at this than others. They do add some to security, some a lot more than others.
To do his job the rooster has to be the unquestioned flock master. Unless the hens respect him and accept his dominance, he cannot break up fights and keep peace in the flock, keep eggs fertile, they might not listen to him when he does find them food or even warn of danger. Some roosters have a strong dominant personality that demands and receives respect from the hens, others don’t. I find the ones that are less self-confident and less sure of themselves tend to be more brutal to the hens because the only way they can gain respect is by physical force. I also think the less self-confident roosters are more likely to become human aggressive because they are more likely to be nervous or unsure of themselves.
The hens play a part in this too. Some hens will squat for anything in spurs while others won’t accept any rooster as their master. Most hens and most roosters work all this out when they mature but some individual chickens can really disrupt the peace of the flock. There is some luck involved. A flock with mature good roosters and mature good hens is really peaceful but just one bad chicken, male or female, can disrupt flock dynamics.
Some roosters become human aggressive, some don’t. Some may be OK with you but if someone else shows up to take care of them when you are out of town, they may be attacked. Some roosters may not really be attacking the human but go after a certain pair of shoes or a certain color of pants. Some roosters are fine, no matter what.
Kids are more vulnerable. Part of that is that they are smaller so their eyes are more at a danger level. Part of it is that they tend to move quickly or with jerky movements and can do things that are perceived as a threat to the flock. They don’t walk, they run. People have been keeping free ranging flocks with roosters on small farms for thousands of years. The kids are normally the ones that gather eggs and do other chores around the flock. It’s normally not a problem, but things do happen when you deal with living animals. If a kid is attacked that rooster is generally eaten and another rooster brought in.
Roosters are normally the prettiest chicken you have. Some people really like the sound of a rooster crowing, some really hate that. When they are chicks the males normally have a lot more personality than the females. They are generally your favorites if you interact with the chicks. With a lot of them, the instincts to check things out kicks in pretty early. That’s why they have personality.
If you don’t have a rooster one of the hens will be the flock master. Sometimes these dominant hens take on a whole lot of the duties of the rooster, breaking up fights, keeping peace in her flock, watching for danger, all that. Sometimes you may not even be sure which one is dominant because the master hen is so laid back. Each chicken is a unique individual and each flock has its own dynamics.
I do think you need more space if you add a rooster than with an all-hen flock. There are certain flock dynamics that work better. If you have multiple roosters like One Chick Two, it becomes critical.
If you are not used to it or are seeing it for the first time, normal chicken mating can appear quite brutal. Especially bad is when you have an adolescent flock. The males tend to mature before the females and hormones are running wild and out of control. The pullets have not matured enough to do their part, the cockerels have not learned technique or control and have not matured enough to have the self-confidence it takes to win respect. Chicken mating, especially involving adolescents, is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, not often but sometimes, chickens can be injured. This is another time that extra room is really good.
Some people would not dream of a flock without a rooster, others don’t want anything to do with a rooster. We all have different goals, experiences, and set-ups. It comes down to a personal choice. If you do decide to try a rooster, it may work out great or you may need a plan B.
Good luck!
. They are my pets and I treat them as if they were. They act like dogs come when called. Roosters are just amazing.. I love coming home from work and being greated by my ladies and gentlemen..
