Do roosters boost egg-laying?

[Swastik Choudhari]

I m not a experienced chicken owner,but had chicken for a good years.
No roosters dont affect egg laying in any way.
According to me and my experience i have seen that some how hens get to know that thier eggs are ferile or what ever they think, but trigger's broody instinct early. I know my opinion dont have any base but its my experience. Also this wont happen with breeds which are breed out broodyness.

Also u already have decided or have took a rooster.they are a great addition to the flock. Also you will get your own fertile eggs. And they also protect the flock alert the flock and show feed and alot things that only rooster owners know. Some people find them annoying noisy and agressive. But i dont have any of such things yeo they crow but i dont find it annoying.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I thought the more sports the girls do, the more they produce.

In reality... a TRUE athlete.. who is training hard (in the human world), will completely forgo menstruates all together... as their body simply can't support the extra demand. Of course that is extreme and not what an average athlete will experience.

I'm not sure why... the industry birds produce such large volumes of eggs. All I know is that with good nutrition and full time free range on good pasture.. I never get numbers like they claim. This is something I am just now becoming interested in (or aware of) and so don't have research to back my claim yet. And MY birds will always be free range unless my predator loss become too great too sustain... as that is our chosen lifestyle.. to have something different than "big chicken" (the industry).

Wive's being advised to walk more before delivery...

"Walking and being upright can help your baby move down onto your cervix so she’s in the right position for labour.

If your baby’s head has not moved down into your pelvis (engaged), when you are at or close to your due date, walking could encourage your baby into a better position. This means labour is more likely to start on its own."

More exploring and learning for me to do.

 

[Abdelaziz]

Yes, you're right Swastik and thanks for sharing your ideas. I don't want to add anything, neither roosters, nor space, unless I get something in return. I think I have made the right decision thanks to everyone's advice and ideas. I am very glad I have joined this forum and quite fortunate to have such nice and supportive friends around. Thank you all with love.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Merci bien, alexa009, your comment has saved me the pain to give the girls more space to get more eggs.

Depends on YOUR flock dynamics...
IF your birds are over crowded... you WILL get more eggs by easing that tension.

With more space you have less cleaning and slower transfer of parasites and disease. The more crowded it get's, the faster things spread. What I get in return for more chicken space is more free time to NOT clean.

Again though, even a 10% increase or decrease won't be noticed by most keepers. I would NEVER know I got 9 instead of 10 eggs that day.

Finding a balance that works for you and your flock is what's best.

Don't misunderstand... I'm not saying confining your birds will give you more eggs... Just that some of our perceptions are misguided in regards to chicken happiness and the effect on their laying.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

According to me and my experience i have seen that some how hens get to know that thier eggs are ferile or what ever they think, but trigger's broody instinct early. I know my opinion dont have any base but its my experience. Also this wont happen with breeds which are breed out broodyness.

I understand that this is stated... "according to you"... and personal experience is often all we can go by.

However... allegedly non setting breeds... are seen sitting pretty often and hatching and raising broods. After a period of development from sitting, yes a hen can tell an egg that isn't "right" and may remove it from the nest even.

Are they smart or sensitive enough to know their eggs are fertile or not before going broody? NOPE. A neighbor with NO rooster has a SEX LINK hen broody. He then got a rooster from me and tucked eggs from their flock under her which she hatched and raised.

My Silkie hens... actually pullets... will go broody by their third week after laying for the very first time... Every single time... with eggs collected every day and NO access to a rooster. They will brood AIR. Or as some have said "hatch out the shavings"!

Broodiness is completely a hormonal thing... and THAT is what triggers their instinct.

I don't mean to be ugly though. I hope you are enjoying BYC, and thank you tons for sharing you own personal experiences and thoughts!

I don't find crowing annoying either.

 

[meetthebubus]

I'm the opposition here a good rooster is your best ally in caring for hens
He can help egg production, mine has. What they do is like a family dynamic, my Roo will help the layers find extra treats, which helps to keep them laying
My rooster will call out to me when the girls want extra treats
When a hen is feeling vulnerable at lay time, he will prepare the nest and stay there guarding her and he sings soothing sounds to her while she's laying
A happy secure hen will lay more
I also notice egg laying is important to the rooster and he makes sure they get food which helps the hen
A weaker hen amongst only hens can suffer from poor egg production but that same hen will get help from her rooster so she can thrive better
I've seen my girls ask him to make a good dust bath spot, and if he didn't do it to their liking they go complain to him and he goes back to remake it better,

To sum it up a good roo takes care of his girls in many ways which can make them happier and keep them fuller which all helps them to give their max production in eggs

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm the opposition here a good rooster is your best ally in caring for hens
He can help egg production, mine has.

Beautiful description!

I love that take.

And I agree with the right set (meaning enough girls to share the love) and a GOOD rooster all them things are true. They add true beauty and character to the place.

I wonder if those sound your boy sings are the warbling I think of?

 

[parman513]

I introduced a rooster to my flock last August. Egg production dropped soon after. I had a few hens go into molt and thought that was the issue. Then a severe cold snap started, so production stayed low.
Now it's been warmer(a little), and was expecting production to increase. It hasn't.
Finally, I started paying closer attention to the rooster. He has become very aggressive to me and the hens. I feel he is creating a stressful atmosphere for my hens. So his days are numbered.

 

[Abdelaziz]

Thanks meetthebubus and Parman for your valuable contributions to the matter. I see there's much more inclination towards keeping roosters off the female flock. Perhaps researchers must conduct an experimental study and give us their results upon which we can base our decisions. But people's opinions and experiences are sometimes more reliable than research results.

Now, one more question here is to do with egg quality and shelf life. With roosters we often get fertile eggs. Now which is healthier, to eat fertile eggs or infertile or there's no difference? And which one has a better shelf life? My feeling tells me the infertile ones are better, but I am not sure. If my feeling is right, then this is an additional reason to kick the rooster off the female flock when I am aiming for eggs only. Am I right?

 

[meetthebubus]

There is no known difference, unless the egg is immediately incubated by hen or incubator the fertilized egg never develops the protected covering the hen provides keeps it fresh whether it has the extra cell or not