Do roosters really help hens?

[Soon2BChixMom]

I have been contemplating getting a rooster. I have a small flock and know the recommendations regarding numbers and this post is not about the numbers.
However, lately I have been letting my hens roam around the yard. 3 of them will go out and forage and 1 stays in the run. The 3 generally go off behind the shed where I cannot see them.
Would a rooster help them while out foraging? Like would he actually keep an eye on them and warn them?
Would a rooster encourage the other hen to come out of the run?
Also, my flock is almost 2 and 3 yrs old. They were initially free ranged at a different home and I am not sure if they were ever introduced to a rooster.
Would that be too traumatic to them to introduce a rooster now?
I have had some advice from others here and there and just want to see what the majority says. Thanks!

 

[The Phantom]

Good roosters will protect you hens, call them when they find food and show them nesting areas.

 

[Abriana]

My rooster is amazing. He will:
Give all treats to the hens
Allow them to eat before him, or will step back when they come
Protect them from predators (he has fought off hawks before)
Warn them-even for butterflies lol
Stay with them and does not nap or dustbathe as much
Cluck while sitting in the nesting box

He is a columbian rock, however I would not recommend this breed to a beginner. He is very aggressive toward everybody. I pretty much just recently learned how to handle him well, mainly because I love him and he is a great rooster. He knows his job!

 

[lena_]

For my flock it had been almost two years since I had had a rooster and after adding my lovely RIR Reggie, my flock thrived! There were no skirmishes or anything, quarantine and then a seamless integration.

He does the following
-Fertilize eggs
-Protect the hens
-Alert them of any danger
-Break up skirmishes between the hens

I can't imagine what life would be like without him!

As for my game bantam rooster Gary...(Let's just say he's a bit of a 'fraidy roo')

 

[Chickassan]

They are basically husbands for your hens. Sometimes he will be great and other times they'll want to kick his butt. They add a whole new level of entertainment to keeping chickens. I highly reccomend one.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

They are basically husbands for your hens. Sometimes he will be great and other times they'll want to kick his butt. They add a whole new level of entertainment to keeping chickens. I highly reccomend one.

Ahahaha. Funny. Love it!

 

[Mrs. K]

Not all roosters are great, some are a true flockmaster. Others are just there, some are dangerous. A really good rooster will be the first to see you as you approach the pen, as I nearly always bring feed, his call changes, and he calls the girls over.

My hens have always been in love by morning. So even though they have never seen a rooster, I dont think it will bother them.

But if you just have an all hen flock, their behavior towards you will change. It can be a bit disconcerting at first. He will generally, casually arrange things so that the hens are around him, or he is between me and the hens. I feed him, he calls the ladies to eat. He takes over the role you currently have with the girls.

I live on the prairie, everything likes to eat chicken, while no advantage after dark, against coons. My day time predation stops when I have a rooster that is at least a year old. A younger rooster, than a year, is not that good at flock protection. Others, living in other places have reported that as flock protection, not that good. In my situation it works.

Some of your hens will be bare back. Some won’t, but bare backs bother people worse than they do chickens. There is a theory out there that some hens feathers are more easily broken than others.

I have had all hen flocks, and a flock with a flockmaster. Over the years I have had 5 roosters, two were outstanding. Roosters are a crap shoot.

Mrs.K

 

[Soy Milano]

Yes, I think so. They care for them!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Yes and no. It largely depends on the specific rooster.

When I got my rooster and he was 1.5 years old he started calling out whenever a hawk was around. With the exception of some very old birds who were unable to book it, he reduced my hawk deaths to next to zero, from 5+ a year.
He was very good about the hens, and me. Gave me a good 3-5' berth at all times unless a fence was between us. Called the hens over for food. Settled squabbles, etc.
He was a useless sack of feathers against raccoons or at night, and that's what finally did him in was a raccoon.
Some roosters will attack things like raccoons, but they may also be aggressive enough to attack YOU from that. And they will probably loose that raccoon fight anyhow.
Some roosters just sit there and do nothing.
Some roosters are awful, stripping feathers, biting hens, stealing their food, running away, attacking humans, etc.

So if you want a rooster, take care to get a good one, or get several and choose the one you like best. Eat the rest.

 

[Morrigan]

A good, non-aggressive rooster is a great addition to the flock.

1. Fertile eggs (really, nice if you like hatching or have broody hens)
2. Watcher/warner/protector
3. Teaches younger hens where to lay their eggs
4. Finds treats/lets hens eat first
5. Soothes hens, and keeps the peace amongst them
6. Helps the broody hens protect their chicks
7. They are gorgeous to look at and I enjoying their crowing

The only thing I don't like is seeing the feather damage to the hens, or watching him chase down a hen and take a hen by force. I can't help projecting human feelings on to the situation.