Any Reason to Keep a Cockerel?

[MROO]

We have 5 - 3 year old hens and adding 17 chicks that we bought March 2 from Atwoods. The 17 are in an extended part of our coop with a barrier between so they can all see each other.
Today I confirmed my wife's suspicion that we have a cockerel. He's a beautiful black cochin with feathered feet. We've never free ranged our flock and don't intend to start because of predators and our coop is bullet proof. We have no need for fertilized eggs. That said, is there any reason to keep a cockerel? TIA.

Having a cockerel will not really make a difference in your flock. It won't change the number of eggs you get. There isn't a real difference between the taste or nutritional content between fertilized and unfertilized eggs. As long as you're collecting eggs regularly, you won't have any unwanted youngsters hatching - although it is nice to have the option, if you want hatch later on ... or sell fertile eggs. A rooster also won't make your hens go broody more often. Hens will set a clutch of unfertilized eggs as quickly as they would fertile ones. Heck, mine try to incubate golf balls and rocks ... and I KNOW they're not fertile!
Cochins tend to be docile and the eye candy is rather nice. I enjoy the eye candy and find the crowing uplifting. For me, anyway, hearing the crows each morning are like a signal that "All's right with the world." So ... if keeping him is an option, ask yourself, instead, is there any reason NOT to? Sometimes it's easier to keep a lone boy than to try and rehome him. If your cockerel is well-mannered, it's all your personal preference.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

If he is a quality guy and is no trouble to anyone, then keep him.

 

[mcdze]

unless you want to breed and/or be sustainable,, not really .. a flock will work better with you without a rooster resisting every single thing you want .. as far as them protecting free rangers from predators, i havent found that to be the case, oh they try, but their strategy is keep them rounded up by the feeder and not roaming and finding food .. and predators will still get them, a rooster makes no difference, half the time theyll get him to lol .. you are the only effective protector of the flock .. a rooster is only good for one thing .. breeding .. other than that theyre aggravating aholes .. they can be good looking birds though, so thats a plus ..

 

[fluffycrow]

unless you want to breed and/or be sustainable,, not really .. a flock will work better with you without a rooster resisting every single thing you want .. as far as them protecting free rangers from predators, i havent found that to be the case, oh they try, but their strategy is keep them rounded up by the feeder and not roaming and finding food .. and predators will still get them, a rooster makes no difference, half the time theyll get him to lol .. you are the only effective protector of the flock .. a rooster is only good for one thing .. breeding .. other than that theyre aggravating aholes .. they can be good looking birds though, so thats a plus ..

The male isn't there to protect the flock from a predator. The male is there to alert the flock in time that a predator is near so that they can take cover. What breed do you raise, all of mine over the years, no matter how bad they were at caring for the flock, have always moved the hens around

 

[Burnt Brass Homestead]

Reasons for keeping cockerel/rooster is fertilization, protection of the hens, looks, and to hear them crow. So, we keep one around for 4 reasons.

I really love to hear them crow several times a day. They are also very beautiful to me.

Because we have a rooster on the homestead, we have not needed to purchase any chicks. Right now, we rotate our flock every 2-3 years. One year I was able give extra pullets, hatched on the homestead, to someone who wanted to grow their flock.

 

[Shadrach]

The reason you should keep a cockerel is one day he will be a rooster and the hens will adore him. What your feelings may be about him are niether here nor there.

 

[fluffycrow]

The reason you should keep a cockerel is one day he will be a rooster and the hens will adore him. What your feelings may be about him are niether here nor there.

I don't know if I should laugh or love this post

 

[TwoShepherds]

I keep a few mannerly roosters so I can hatch my own chicks. Other than that, they are pretty to look at, and I enjoy their crowing. You definitely don't need a rooster if all you want are eggs, but if you're allowed to have roosters where you live, and you have the space, and he's not causing any trouble, I vote keep him.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

The reason you should keep a cockerel is one day he will be a rooster and the hens will adore him. What your feelings may be about him are niether here nor there.

And I fervently hold on to this hope, while also hoping he grows enough smarts to realize that I am a way bigger rooster that owns a razor sharp knife. if he becomes the best thing since sliced bread to the hens and learns to do what I want him to, he is set for a wonderful and long life.

 

[Shadrach]

I realise it can be a horrible shock to some people on BYC but most hens I've known like having a rooster around. The cockerels not so much. They'll fuss over him, send him off to bath, rearrange his plumage so it's just right, groom the parts he can't reach and crouch for him if he so much as winks at them.
Shocking or what?
Hens like roosters. It's a natural thing.
Course, if you want to keep a bunch of bickering old biddies who draw lots for whose going to be the man around the place then perhaps a rooster may be too much of a challenge.