Do roosters really help hens?

[sourland]

Get one game rooster and give it a real test.

The most hen and chick protective and least human aggressive roosters that I have ever dealt with - across the board.

 

[New2Chicks97]

Yeah, well unfortunately we ended up with an abusive rooster. He was supposed to be a girl so needless to say we were a bit surprised and unprepared for a rooster. He is so rough with the girls. He attacks my daughter and doesn’t do a whole lot for the flock honestly. He is going to someone’s freezer camp this weekend.

I am hopeful that if we should happen to get another rooster he will be sweet and helpful rather than a PITA.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

My birds are locked up at night and then surrounded by an electric wire. Hopefully there are enough deterrents to keep night predators at bay. Also, my birds come out of the run to "free range" only while I am out there. But, it would be nice not to always be checking on them - even if there happened to be a daytime predator at least if there was a warning call, it would give them a chance.
I just read through @centrarchid's thread regarding broody roosters. It was very interesting and I enjoyed reading about rooster behaviors that I was not aware of.

 

[centrarchid]

My birds are locked up at night and then surrounded by an electric wire. Hopefully there are enough deterrents to keep night predators at bay. Also, my birds come out of the run to "free range" only while I am out there. But, it would be nice not to always be checking on them - even if there happened to be a daytime predator at least if there was a warning call, it would give them a chance.
I just read through @centrarchid's thread regarding broody roosters. It was very interesting and I enjoyed reading about rooster behaviors that I was not aware of.

Your setup is possibly similar to mine. Predators can still come in to cause trouble even though not actually taking any birds. GHO's, Opossums, and one really smart Red Fox are my fun. Roosters are easier to hear when alarms given, but hens produce alarms as well.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Your setup is possibly similar to mine. Predators can still come in to cause trouble even though not actually taking any birds. GHO's, Opossums, and one really smart Red Fox are my fun. Roosters are easier to hear when alarms given, but hens produce alarms as well.

Ah yes, I have heard my when's alarm calls too.

 

[RWise]

I certainly would not be without a rooster! But I want chicks so,,, Even in a bachelor pad they will call alerts.
Protect the girls as in fight off an attacker,, well my big guy would take the girls out of harms way and stand between them,, mostly. But in that case the attacker was going after a roo in prison,,,
Any of mine will call the girls and run to me when I go out, even more if I have anything in my hands. Each one will feed the chicks as he does his girls, until those little cockerels start chasing "his" girls.
I sold a small flock of old girls with a rooster to my sister, they did not want a rooster, but took him. A very large mild bird, black with gold splash. I told her she knows how to cook, and just eat him, or sell/give him away, (package deal). In 2 days time they fell in luv with him,
If you get one with the right attitude you will luv him! Of course they are not all good birds, I have had bad ones also. They go great with feather dumplings!

 

[TheTwoRoos]

A good rooster will watch over and some even defend the hens.My hens look up to the rooster (soem more then others).As long as I have kept roosters,most of my most friendly hens never changed.However if your girls were never around boys,they may very well change.I do believe one of my hens has attachment issues to my rooster.If she gets left behind and the rooster has made his way his somewhere out of her sight,she begins cackling,and it draws him back to come get her and bring her home,pretty needy.

 

[RWise]

Oh ya, for girls that have never seen a rooster, I did that this spring, picked up 2 GEMs hens about 14 MO. Once time out had passed I put them in a pad with my old guy, he is a gentleman as roo's go. They stood far away, he would pick up something and call them for it, one of them would reluctantly come grab it and run. After a few times of this they started trusting him, it was his turn to be out with the flock so out they came and these 2 would chase the other girls from him, even knock him off another hen. then chase the hen away. He grew tired of this fast and stopped it. "I will mate whom I want!"
After a few weeks they are just part of the flock

 

[BreanneRN]

What can you say? Some are, some aren't... You want one that will be non-aggressive to humans and support/protect the hens, and father any baby chicks you might want to have. Like a good dog, they are where you find them, just as likely to be a mixed breed as pure, can come from a hatchery or not. This year I bought straight run Speckled Sussex, EE's, Light and Buff Brahmas and had a lot of roosters... Of the lot, the Light Brahmas have been the most uniformly nice, even to each other. However, the Buff Brahmas (which I bought on impulse as unidentified chicks at TSC) not so much. By far, the Speckled Sussex were the most aggressive and so far I have eaten 2 of them and 1 EE, but 1 Buff Brahma is going to be the next to go. Really wish I could find homes for the Light Brahmas because all of them are just really nice birds... Protective, but kind, gentle giants.

 

[aart]

I sold a small flock of old girls with a rooster to my sister, they did not want a rooster, but took him. A very large mild bird,

This is how I started...I learned a lot from that cockbird, gave him back to her when I wanted a different breed..he was too good to eat and someone she knew needed a good cockbird for their free range flock.

Have never had a cockless flock, I don't free range but have learned a lot watching the males manage the females...and the young males. Wouldn't be without one due to hatching replacement layers every year.