Do I need a cockadodadooooo?

[Berynn]

I have 7 six week old laying hens. How important is a rooster as far as protecting them,
My concern is hawks and owls. I also want my chicks to be happy and free to roam my acre. Will they stay on my land?
Will they stay together?
Will they stay near their coop, or will they be like my bipolar daughter and fly the coop? Real question, and yes my daughter is bipolar.
If I decide to get a rooster, do I have to introduce them slowly, or just throw him in with his wves?
Great a morman rooster. Just a joke my best friend is morman, we tease her all the time.
First time chicken owner, learning quick do to this sight, thanks to all of you.
Anyone from Murrieta California?

 

[silkiechicken]

I think rosters are helpful at keeping an eye out for the girls.

They will stay within eye shot of the coop or your house, or what ever they identify as the safe place to sleep at night. Mine do not leave the sight of the house or their coops, with their furthest ventures being half way down the drive way to the point where they can start not seeing the house.

Rooster intergration is a cake compared to hen intergration. Do the standard quarentie so you don't bring in disease and then just let him go with the girls.

Don't worry, there will be some pecking.

Be sure to introduce a roo at about the same age of the girls since they are young, or wait till the girls are mature enough and bring in an adult. At 6 weeks, are you sure you don't have a roo? Sexing of chicks is never 100%.

 

[Berynn]

I am preety sure that they are all hens, I got them at a feed store who 99.9 said that they were females and that there is room for era, but none of them are trying to crow like a rooster, they are all chirping like sweat lil girs.

 

[silkiechicken]

I would be careful bout trusting the feed store then. Unless they are sexlinks, the sexing rate is only 90%

No worries though, your girls will be fine without a roo, but I feel it looks more complete with one.

 

[chickflick]

My chickens DO NOT stay close to the coop, nor do they all stay together!! I live on 1 1/2 acre and the chickens are all over the place...like 2 doors down!! Luckily, the neighbors to the right of me are ok with them wandering over there, but the nieghbor to the left is a real jerk, so I have to keep the chickens off his land. Pretty hard when his lot is L shape and runs behind mine!! And... some will be in the front, some in the backyard, some in the neighbors! It's a bit easier in the summer when it's hot and the chickens stay around the brush to keep cool, but now that the weather is cooler, man I sure do get my exercise herding them in!!

If you let them free range, I think it's better to have a rooster. Rocky goes from one group to another checking on them and calling them home. Make sure you get a rooster that knows his job. Rocky is an EE... then I have Doodle, who is so laid back and I don't see him doing his "job" too often.