Do I have to have a rooster?

[McChooky]

Are you spending time or not spending time with them?

You will know when they start to mature - starting to protect their flock....etc. Roosters are adorable when they are young.

I check for signs of predators (paw prints, digging,etc)when I let them out and do most of my chicken chores midday.I like watching them so I have a chair out there but I don't spend a lot of time with them. The better the hens like me the less the roosters want me hanging around

 

[Chickenclaude]

I’ve got 6 plus a rooster…his mating ritual has been brutal…bloody heads and backs..I went out to ck what the squawking was about and he had my old gal cornered and was beating the shit out of her. .. that was it. I just left him outside…had tried to rehome him but no one else wants a brutal boy. Nature took care of him.

 

[McChooky]

I’ve got 6 plus a rooster…his mating ritual has been brutal…bloody heads and backs..I went out to ck what the squawking was about and he had my old gal cornered and was beating the shit out of her. .. that was it. I just left him outside…had tried to rehome him but no one else wants a brutal boy. Nature took care of him.

In theory that may sound like a good idea but a better idea is skin him or pluck him and feed him to the chickens after cooking him.They would have enjoyed him.I haven't eaten a rooster yet but I did cook one for the broth and flavored a roast with him last week.I have a couple more small jars in the freezer for chicken dumplings and soup (My pets ate the rest of him)

 

[SkyAJK]

I check for signs of predators (paw prints, digging,etc)when I let them out and do most of my chicken chores midday.I like watching them so I have a chair out there but I don't spend a lot of time with them. The better the hens like me the less the roosters want me hanging around

I am like you, I have a chair to sit and watch my chickens.
There is the information about imprinting ...chicken imprint on their human and this create a deep bond. We had that with our first 6 chickens and that including the rooster in there. Most of my chickens now are not imprinted on me...I have different relationship with them than those first 6.

 

[McChooky]

I am like you, I have a chair to sit and watch my chickens.
There is the information about imprinting ...chicken imprint on their human and this create a deep bond. We had that with our first 6 chickens and that including the rooster in there. Most of my chickens now are not imprinted on me...I have different relationship with them than those first 6.

I still have 3 of my first 6 and they still live in the same little coop I made for them 5 yrs ago.The have a small run I made for them until I got the big run finished.I never intended on keeping them in there but they hated my other chickens .They let me add an adult hen one time after her flockmates were killed by their owners own dogs.I think they knew what happened over there and felt sorry for her.She lived across the street from us but never went back over there after we let her out to free range

 

[SkyAJK]

I still have 3 of my first 6 and they still live in the same little coop I made for them 5 yrs ago.The have a small run I made for them until I got the big run finished.I never intended on keeping them in there but they hated my other chickens .They let me add an adult hen one time after her flockmates were killed by their owners own dogs.I think they knew what happened over there and felt sorry for her.She lived across the street from us but never went back over there after we let her out to free range

...chickens know

 

[Martington Bear]

For egg production, nope don't need one.

But, I personally would not go without a couple roos.

We pasture raise our flock and they free range. Have an electronic gate that opens at sun up, and closes down a bit after sunset. Two rooster survivors from the original flock are a Chantecler and an RI Red. Love those two. They provide structure that would not exist otherwise. They are on watch 24/7 and fearless. They keep everyone in the same general area. The Chantecler is out until the last member of the flock goes in, and he herds them around. No one challenges him! They all follow orders and things are always peaceful...and the flock is always safe.