What predators can roosters actually kill/fend off?

[CAjerseychick]

We have a very young flock and a young Roo (just happened to be the only Boy that lived out of the bunch)... He is a Jersey Giant though and starting to mature, he is very defensive of his hens and make alot of noise (they free range about on 2 acres)-- I guess what his purpose is, is to sound the alarm and then the Big dogs come running (they kill lots of things, and protect the chickens)... SO he is mainly to alert the dogs, allthough in a pinch I have seem him go running at the cat (which quickly gets outa his way...)...

 

[HughesFowlFarm]

I know this is a rooster thing, but I have one black hen (mixed breed) and one bantam rooster (mixed with feathered legs) I don't know who is responsible but one day I came home and there was a HUGE dead rat in their pen. It looked like a squirrel without hair on its tail. I guess it went in for an egg and didnt make it back out.

 

[Freia]

RE: hawks... My vet says 6 pounds is about the most a red-tailed hawk can carry away. A good-sized rooster can not only warn his hens to take cover to avoid a hawk attack, but can also do some damage to fend off a hawk.

My 100 pound dog won't go anywhere near any rooster. He must have gotten a lesson at some point.

Last month I had a coyote get into my flock. I didn't lose any hens. I did lose my 4-month-old rooster. He didn't have spurs yet, and probably only weighed about 5 pounds. He didn't have a chance, yet he attacked that coyote for all he was worth, sacrificed himself, and saved the entire flock. He bought all the hens time to escape. If he'd been full-size with full spurs, he may have had a chance.

They are impressive, strong, fast, brave creatures. Chickens can't see well in the dark though. Don't expect a roosted to fend off any predators once the sun sets.

 

[Andrstein]

Depends on how hungry the predator is.

My 2 roos and 6 chickens became coyote food a few weeks ago. They took 8 adult birds in 2 hours in broad daylight. I never had roos before, and this year I kept 2. I'm pretty sure their nonstop screaming to let the world know where they are at all times helped call in a hungry pack. I never had coyotes until I got roos this year. We free range our 11 acres and coop the birds at night, so after I kill this new coyote pack that moved in I'm going back to hens only.

 

[Tiller]

Coyotes are out of control here in VA Andrstein, I trap and harvest quite a few every fall. Chances are with 11 acres you'll always end up having problems with them.
I've been letting my butcher Roo's free range furign the days. I was finishing up in the garden the other day and heard one making a racket. He had a stray cat cornered and was flogging the starch out of it. The cat finally escaped, but was limping heavily and a little bloody, from the looks of the confrontation the roo would have killed the cat if it hadn't have escaped. The cat had been scouting my hen pen out for about a month now so I wasn't too sad to see it receive a good flogging. I think if the roo is going to be that protective I just might give him a stay of execution and let him in with the hens.
Other then that I've seen roos kill chipmunks and rats in the past, bigger pests might be able to be killed, but chances of a mortal injury on the roo are a lot higher too.

 

[Andrstein]

Coyotes are out of control here in VA Andrstein, I trap and harvest quite a few every fall.  Chances are with 11 acres you'll always end up having problems with them.   

If you are implying I should get a new shotgun along with the new hens I'm getting this weekend I like your logic! Lol. I will let the wife know.

I originally kept the 2 roos because I wanted their protection capabilities, but a hungry coyote pack is just more than a bird can defend against.

 

[Shellz]

Here's my story, FWIW: Feral cats are on the rise here. Dogs were in house one sunny afternoon recently, when my bigger one jumped out of a nap to be let out. I went out with the dogs & saw my 5 month old mutt cockerel walking towards the open gate of the chicken yard. I followed & saw a big tom cat in there. I didn't wait for the roo to get busy. I got my .17hmr and we tag-teamed that sob! I have valuable stock here, with some new chicks, so I don't give any predator any lee-way. And yes, totally legal btw. Cat didn't suffer. I've been in contact with the local authorities for all sorts of pred problems.

 

[carrieb62]

My neighbors Barred Rock rooster has killed corn rats.

As for me, the only rooster I have here that kicks-butt is the one that figured out my Corgi dog, Cowboy, is just all bark. They actually "play" more than anything else. The rest of the roosters just run in the other direction. That little rooster, BeeBee, will even share his bread with Cowboy. Here's the two of them playing in the yard... BeeBee's expression says "BRING IT ON!"

 

[HughesFowlFarm]

I have ducks, why do ducks not have that protective and defensive personality like geese or roosters? Ducks just runaway and hope they're the fastest. Geese only defend themselves and their young. But I've heard about mean roosters all my life, so much that I think they fight for sport.

 

[Vamvakas]

Not saying we should cockfight but getting those tall 3' Vietnam cockfighting game birds would really kill a lot of predators.