do you enjoy having a rooster or regret it?

[ziggywiggy1]

I’m looking for good, bad, and ugly experiences. I want a rooster for hawk protection so I can let the girls free range a bit more. I currently have 3 silver laced Wyandotte hens and am planning to get 3/4 more hens beginning of next year and possibly a rooster. I live on 8 acres in the country so no hoa or bylaws to contend with. Do you feel like having a rooster made enjoying your hens harder to do?
My hens treat me like their rooster (doing the little mating plop if I so much as wave a hand in their direction) and follow me willingly back to their coop after I let them out to free range for an hour or so. I’ll be a little sad if they are more interested in the rooster than me but maybe the rooster will be the same if I raise them? I’m interested in getting another silver laced roo or an Easter egger roo and Easter egger ladies. I kind of like that my Wyandotte’s are on the more skittish/wary side (don’t enjoy being picked up but will come up to me and sit on my legs), and I think maybe a Wyandotte rooster would be more watchful because of that.

 

[Poodlemum]

I really wanted to like ours and they do have great benefits, but it just wasn’t working out for us currently. As soon as we sent them to a new home, we were able to FINALLY integrate the younger chicks in. The roos we’re getting very rough with them :/ Next year I might try again with some bantams since we have better space to get past the teenage hormone stage

 

[Banana01]

Get a rooster that is the target breed you want in case you decide to hatch a brood of babies. For hawk protection maybe a larger breed or maybe a breed is more naturally protective. I don't know breed names but that may take some resdarch if there is such a thing.

I understand the concern about the hens and your relationship, but they will always view you higher in the pecking order than a new rooster, even though when youre not there they should get along with the rooster too. If that makes sense.

 

[Mrs. K]

Some roosters are fantastic, and some are a nightmare, it is a crap shoot, and the longer I am in this game, the more I am sure people might have something to do with it, but not much. There is no way guaranteed to make a great rooster, except a sharp knife. Someone just recently posted, that people who are willing to dispatch mean roosters, tend to have really nice ones. That poster, thought it was in the people attitude, I think it is in the knife, they just don't put up with mean roosters.

Not all roosters are great for chickens either, what you want is a rooster that sees you first when you walk up to the coop/run. He needs to be aware of where his hens are, should dance and tidbit. He needs to be a year old, before he is worth much at flock protection. A lot of people will tell you that flock protection is a myth, but I do like to let my flock out, and with a year old top notch rooster, I went from 2-3 times a month loss to 0 loss in the daytime. However, they will do nothing in a night attack by coons.

Roosters will change the dynamics of the flock. They will no longer squat for you, but rather look to him for all things. A lot of people feed the rooster, and let him call the girls to where he has (great provider that he is) found for them. It is not uncommon for him to move so that he is between you and the hens. Some people don't like that.

If this is your first time with roosters, I would want all my birds laying. Adding a rooster to pullets is just difficult. But what you want is a rooster that is a year old or very close, it needs to be a rooster, that grew up in a multi-generational flock (IMO the worst roosters are flock mate roosters, they get big fast, and often become a bully) and this rooster was so darn nice that he just got spared with a person that WOULD cull them if he wasn't. If you can get one who free ranges their flock in similar situations as your own, that is good! This bird, should gracefully move off from you when you come to meet him, and stay about 6 feet away, not in a panic, just respecting your space.

Bad signs in a rooster/cockerel

• excessive crowing when you enter the coop
• flapping his wings at you, or raising his hackles
• slipping behind you, sneaking up on you
• stink eye
• and attacking for ANY reason.

If you have children under the age of 6, I would not get a rooster, they tend to be attacked first - and at face level. Then women, and finally a real mean rooster will attack full size men. If they once attack, there is a STRONG possibility they will again.
So don't get a rooster, if you don't think you can cull him. Most inexperienced people vastly underestimate how violent a rooster attack can be.

I have right now an all hen flock (!#$^%@& coons) but I rebuilt the coop/run and it seems tight. Just hatched out a couple of chicks - one is a rooster chick. I will keep an eye on him, but not make him a pet. Pets often do not give humans any respect. What appears to be friendly is a lack of fear, and that leads them into attacking. If he gets a bit rambunctious at about 4-6 months, I will separate him for a bit. But if he acts any way aggressive, he will be culled. My darling grandchildren are worth more than any rooster.

Mrs K

 

[FlipFlopFarmer6279]

I personally *love* my roo. He comes right up to me and sits in my lap.

 

[Neggative]

I’ve never had a tame roo, but I’ve also never had one that would attack me, their so funny to watch though lol, def worth it.

 

[Neggative]

And as hawk protection, good luck that’s why I got mine, hawks just ate them too. The only way to stop a hawk it to make it disappear.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

I'm still new to chickens--this is my second winter with them. We had a surprise buff orp roo. He has been wonderful. Super friendly with me and the husband. Breaks up hen fights, great with chicks.

At first he was rough on the girls, but I think that has gotten better since we added a younger roo to the flock ( his offspring). Both boys get along well. They will eat out of my hand together at the same time. Also they team up when getting the girls to safety. One starts to hustle the ladies to the coop while the other stands guard and calls alarm.

The son is actually larger and heavier than his dad, but hasn't really challenged dad roo. However son roo is very rough on the girls even if they say no. Since son roo is so rough, dad roo spends a lot of time rescuing girls. Because of that, I think dad roo's lady skills are loads better. He's been much more respectful with the girls.

Son roo isn't a year old yet, so I am giving him some time mellow as it took dad roo over a year to settle in.

I've probably been super lucky to have two boys that get along with me and each other.

 

[Sahraschweiss]

Some roosters are fantastic, and some are a nightmare, it is a crap shoot, and the longer I am in this game, the more I am sure people might have something to do with it, but not much. There is no way guaranteed to make a great rooster, except a sharp knife. Someone just recently posted, that people who are willing to dispatch mean roosters, tend to have really nice ones. That poster, thought it was in the people attitude, I think it is in the knife, they just don't put up with mean roosters.

Not all roosters are great for chickens either, what you want is a rooster that sees you first when you walk up to the coop/run. He needs to be aware of where his hens are, should dance and tidbit. He needs to be a year old, before he is worth much at flock protection. A lot of people will tell you that flock protection is a myth, but I do like to let my flock out, and with a year old top notch rooster, I went from 2-3 times a month loss to 0 loss in the daytime. However, they will do nothing in a night attack by coons.

Roosters will change the dynamics of the flock. They will no longer squat for you, but rather look to him for all things. A lot of people feed the rooster, and let him call the girls to where he has (great provider that he is) found for them. It is not uncommon for him to move so that he is between you and the hens. Some people don't like that.

If this is your first time with roosters, I would want all my birds laying. Adding a rooster to pullets is just difficult. But what you want is a rooster that is a year old or very close, it needs to be a rooster, that grew up in a multi-generational flock (IMO the worst roosters are flock mate roosters, they get big fast, and often become a bully) and this rooster was so darn nice that he just got spared with a person that WOULD cull them if he wasn't. If you can get one who free ranges their flock in similar situations as your own, that is good! This bird, should gracefully move off from you when you come to meet him, and stay about 6 feet away, not in a panic, just respecting your space.

Bad signs in a rooster/cockerel

• excessive crowing when you enter the coop
• flapping his wings at you, or raising his hackles
• slipping behind you, sneaking up on you
• stink eye
• and attacking for ANY reason.

If you have children under the age of 6, I would not get a rooster, they tend to be attacked first - and at face level. Then women, and finally a real mean rooster will attack full size men. If they once attack, there is a STRONG possibility they will again.
So don't get a rooster, if you don't think you can cull him. Most inexperienced people vastly underestimate how violent a rooster attack can be.

I have right now an all hen flock (!#$^%@& coons) but I rebuilt the coop/run and it seems tight. Just hatched out a couple of chicks - one is a rooster chick. I will keep an eye on him, but not make him a pet. Pets often do not give humans any respect. What appears to be friendly is a lack of fear, and that leads them into attacking. If he gets a bit rambunctious at about 4-6 months, I will separate him for a bit. But if he acts any way aggressive, he will be culled. My darling grandchildren are worth more than any rooster.

Mrs K

Excellent post!

 

[JaeG]

What @Mrs. K said.

Our very first rooster has been a dream. He's a little bantam and has always been the perfect gentleman towards the pullets and hens, as well as humans. His sons have never been human aggressive but some are a little too attentive towards the pullets so only the sweetest avoid the chop.

Only one larger breed rooster has ever been allowed to stay here. He was confined to his own run when he was young until he'd gotten over his juvenile hormonal-ness. He's trustworthy around our older kids now and they can pick him up easily but he thinks a lot of himself and is such a silly, funny bird.

Our hens will still eat from our hands and squat for us though I try to give my little bantam guy all the glory by giving him the first bit of whatever I'm feeding out. Most of our roosters have been raised by humans with a lot of handling and I don't think it makes much difference in the end. A lot comes down to individual personalities.

Thankfully my DH is happy to dispatch any roosters we don't want to keep. There are good roosters out there but you may have to go through a few before you find one that is trustworthy. You definitely don't want to keep one that makes you feel unsafe or ruins your enjoyment of your flock.