Do roosters really help hens?

[keesmom]

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.
Mrs.K

I am one of those that find even good, mature roosters are ineffective against predators. We are in a spot the northeast with a lot of tree/brush cover that prevents broadwinged hawks from having any luck. However those conditions are ideal for the local Cooper's hawks. Chickens can't see them coming at all. I've had them dive through bushes and trees, and have had them bounce off the windows or house when they miss.

Roosters aren't going to be able to do much about large predators either even in daylight (right now I have fox, coyote, fisher, mink and even a barred owl). You'll want to know what you have in your location. A game camera is a great thing to have

 

[centrarchid]

When sex ratio of a flock is skewed towards female like most people desire for egg production, then a rooster's investment in a particular flockmate will be lower. As sex ratio gets lower where the number of hens per rooster goes down, then you are more apt to see investment by rooster you will see as beneficial. Additionally, the investment a rooster makes is actually in his offspring, not his "girls". That said, you can have breed and individual rooster affects.

See thread below for what I can realize with sex ratio that approaches what is closer to natural in feral chickens and wild jungle fowl.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-to-look-for-in-a-broody-rooster.882368/

My roosters are extremely effective against Coopers Hawks going after juveniles chickens aged 5 to about 12 weeks. After that Coopers Hawks generally not an issue for juveniles and adults in my setting. Same roosters can distract something like a fox increasing odds hen with chicks can slip away without being noticed. I stress odds, that is what life often boils down to, not the absolute black and white we insist on pretty much everything these days.

 

[centrarchid]

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!

Get one game rooster and give it a real test.

 

[Killer Tomato]

I'm considering the same thing -- we still have PTSD from our crazy rooster from last summer, so I'm still on the fence about it.

When I think about a month long quarantine period (in my only bathroom?), I'm even less inclined to get one. Sigh. I just don't know what to do.

 

[Chickassan]

You could always get a day old and raise it or hope for a broody and let one of your girls do it. I remember your Dennis he was insane!

I'm considering the same thing -- we still have PTSD from our crazy rooster from last summer, so I'm still on the fence about it.

When I think about a month long quarantine period (in my only bathroom?), I'm even less inclined to get one. Sigh. I just don't know what to do.

 

[Killer Tomato]

You could always get a day old and raise it or hope for a broody and let one of your girls do it. I remember your Dennis he was insane!

Buhahaha! You have an amazing memory!!! Dennis was totally nuts! But I was also completely cowed by him, and could never gain the upper hand -- total noob. You see why I'm hesitant, I don't want to screw it up, or get another psycho.

We're looking at a young bantam cochin on craigslist nearby. The lady must have gotten the straight run Bantam packages at one of the hatcheries, as she has about 6 young roosters for free. They are about 5 months old. Too early to tell if they're aggressive yet, for sure.

I'm thinking with a bantam cochin, it's the size of a softball, how much damage could he *really* do to me????

 

[Chickassan]

Good thinking! If he gets too out of hand stick him in a shoebox and call it a day lol! And of couse I remember Dennis wasn't even my rooster but he scared the bejeezus out of me! He went for the face, not kosher at all!

Buhahaha! You have an amazing memory!!! Dennis was totally nuts! But I was also completely cowed by him, and could never gain the upper hand -- total noob. You see why I'm hesitant, I don't want to screw it up, or get another psycho.

We're looking at a young bantam cochin on craigslist nearby. The lady must have gotten the straight run Bantam packages at one of the hatcheries, as she has about 6 young roosters for free. They are about 5 months old. Too early to tell if they're aggressive yet, for sure.

I'm thinking with a bantam cochin, it's the size of a softball, how much damage could he *really* do to me????

 

[The Phantom]

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.

X10

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

When sex ratio of a flock is skewed towards female like most people desire for egg production, then a rooster's investment in a particular flockmate will be lower. As sex ratio gets lower where the number of hens per rooster goes down, then you are more apt to see investment by rooster you will see as beneficial. Additionally, the investment a rooster makes is actually in his offspring, not his "girls". That said, you can have breed and individual rooster affects.

See thread below for what I can realize with sex ratio that approaches what is closer to natural in feral chickens and wild jungle fowl.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-to-look-for-in-a-broody-rooster.882368/

My roosters are extremely effective against Coopers Hawks going after juveniles chickens aged 5 to about 12 weeks. After that Coopers Hawks generally not an issue for juveniles and adults in my setting. Same roosters can distract something like a fox increasing odds hen with chicks can slip away without being noticed. I stress odds, that is what life often boils down to, not the absolute black and white we insist on pretty much everything these days.

Great thread. I need some more time to read all the way through it. Just got a chance to gloss over it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[lazy gardener]

You can't expect any roo to protect the flock at night if a predator gets into the coop. He will be as helpless as his hens. A good roo does sound the alert, and is generally an asset. A bad roo (human aggressive) belongs in the stew pot. Good management of your roo from the moment you realize that it is a cockerel, and not a pullet will go a long ways towards insuring that your cockerel does not become human aggressive.