Advantages to keeping roo?

[augustmomx2]

So currently I have 13 chickens & they are all about 7wks old. Several weeks ago, I noticed one of my White Rocks appeared to have a much redder comb & wattles, compared to the other WR. I am convinced this is a roo

These "white chickens" as my ds calls them are his. Out of all the 19 chicks I received...out of the 2 that really needed to be hens...one turns out to be a roo!

I was not anticipating keeping any roos, since I live very close to neighbors, in a metro area & I'm not even sure if I can have a roo. Now, since my 6yo ds is completely attached to this chicken (hes actually a really good boy so far) I may end up keeping him

What are some advantages to having a roo? Should I hold onto him, just for my son? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[lisahaschickens]

roos help protect the flock from danger and give you fertile eggs and they can also be entertaining... I think those are the main reasons to keep a roo... but if you're in an urban area, there are probably laws against it.

 

[Cajunsamoan]

IMO, there is nothing like watching a roo "stand guard" while the hens forage in the yard. My boys take their jobs quite seriously and are great protectors. I free range so they are very important for the girls.

 

[cowman910]

my roo does a little dance when the hens are around, it looks like he has sand in his pants!

 

[lilchick]

You can find it quite touching to watch a roo call and feed the hens..They do watch out for dangers and keep the peace in a flock..
Most importantly too many roos go to slaughter, so save one!

l

 

[Southernbelle]

Fertile eggs, of course

They also keep the peace in the coop by breaking up fights between the ladies. This helps so much when you're adding new birds to the flock! He will also put himself between the hens and potential threats inside or outside of the coop.

A friend of mine was free-ranging her chickens inside her fenced yard and a lab hopped the fence and went for her birds. Her hens ran away and hid, but the rooster ran towards the dog distracting it and attacking it to protect the girls. Sadly, the rooster was no match for the dog and he died. Her son couldn't understand why the rooster didn't run away and he'd be safe, too, and she had to explain that that's what they do - they willing to die to protect the hens.

A well-behaved rooster is a valuable asset to your flock and I will always have one! Anyway - I like the crowing.

 

[gritsar]

Everything that has already been said plus roos add a whole new dimension to the flock.
As rooster-red once said, the roos are for protection, peacekeeping and procreation.
When my chickens were young Thor would have liked nothing better than to mate Lil' Bit, my half blind runt chicken. Lil' Bit was terrified of Thor and for a long time I wouldn't let him mate her because he was/is so much bigger than her. He finally did mate her a couple of times and she lost her fear of him.
Now he rarely if ever mates her, but she's become his sidekick. If you see Thor he has Lil' Bit with him. He somehow seems to sense that she's "not quite right" and he takes extra good care of her.

 

[augustmomx2]

Well after all of your raves about your beloved roos...we have decided to keep ours & give it a shot

He so far, is really good with all of us and is not showing any signs of agression. I know he's really young so far, but we will try to give him extra-handling (my ds already does, since he's "his" chicken) to get him used to us. Now my only fear is...baby chicks...I'm going to want to keep them all!

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

Where are you at in Indiana? I live on the near eastside of Indianapolis, and have a rooster. I know all my neighbors really well though, and talked to them about it first. Also, he gets to sleep in a dog crate at night so that the crowing doesn't start until 8:30. I know in Indianapolis there are no laws against chickens or roosters. However, other local governments will have restrictions, like Carmel.

I really like having a rooster. He takes good care of the hens, and I can hatch eggs anytime I want without having to pay and have them shipped. It is so much fun to see what comes out of the eggs!!

 

[KellyandKatie]

our roo comes in at night too and sleeps in a crate
he does not even poop in the crate at night anymore, very easy - and of corse making him all the more bonded with us