Do hens need a rooster to get them motivated?

[Paige'sChickens]

This may be a real question but my hens are not laying and a friend of my mother's said when her hens are not laying she take them to her dad's farm to "visit" his rooster.

She says it works everytime. Are my hens just "horn**y" and is there any truth to that??? I can't have roosters in town but would be interested to see if there is any truth to this...she loads them in her car and drives them 50+ miles to the beach to "visit" the rooster.??????

 

[welasharon]

No. Many people have hens that never see a rooster and they do fine but if that makes her happy...what's the harm?

 

[Paige'sChickens]

That's very good...thank you.....LOL

 

[donrae]

Maybe her hens just want to go to the beach?

 

[sourland]

Sometimes a trip to the movies ---------

 

[OldGuy43]

Or a concert?

 

[Ridgerunner]

To be clear, they do not need a rooster to get them motivated. They will lay whenever they will lay, with or without a rooster.

The risk to taking them for a visit with a rooster is that you can introduce them to diseases or parasites. I would not do it.

Of course, there is no harm in dumping some sand in their run and creating a beach, but I think there is a good case for having them vacation at home.

 

[aoxa]

I take mine for a drive in the car to 'motivate' them

 

[Lollipop]

You guys are gonna laugh at me, but I`ve got a different slant on the subject. Not once or twice in my illustrious chicken raising life, but maybe 3 times, I`ve had hens that just stopped laying, presumably out of boredom. Not broody, not molting, and not in the fall, just for no reason at all. After feeding these freeloaders for a few months, it occurred to me that boredom could be the reason. Sooo, I put a nice handsome cock in with them. He musta spiced up their lives, because usually within 2 weeks, some of them started laying and then all of them. Now, go ahead and laugh, just relating my real life experiences. I know they lay just fine without a rooster, nearly all the time, but this really happened. Coincidence? Maybe.........Pop

 

[wvchickenhouse]

I love the freeloader comment from "Pop"....

I got a rooster and mine started laying more but I think it was just a coinsidence. My rooster definately entertains them...and me too!