Just wondering if a rooster with hens make them more content, or not? Considering re-homing my rooster as he wakes me at 4 am every morning. He seems to treat his girls well so I don't want to upset them by taking him away. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Sometimes re-homing any of the flock can be temporarily upsetting but they usually adjust after a few days. I would not hesitate a second to re-home a very loud roo.
Let me tell you about MY flock, as illustration. My handsome EE roo, Carl, courts Rebecca but she seldom submits. But they hang out together all the time. Sometimes she does submit. Carl doesn't court Minerva or Millicent, who are low in status; he just jumps 'em. And their back feathers show it. Matilda, Rebecca, and Lacey are the top three hens who travel with Carl whilst free ranging. He does mount them, when they submit. If they don't squat, he looks for the "easy" girls Minerva and Millicent. But they AREN'T "easy," - they run like heck to get away from him. BUT they both want to sleep on the roost next to him, and if Lacey, Matilda and/or Rebecca let them get up there next to him, that's where they'll sleep. (I have 3 parallel roost bars, so Carl is sort of encircled by his ladies on 3 different roosts around him. Carl stops squabbles in the flock. He alerts them to possible dangers. There are other ladies in the flock, too, and a few pullets just coming into laying age. Carl will herd them around the yard at the end of the day when it's time to go to roost. He also goes to round up the laggards. I think Minerva and Millicent might enjoy growing their back feathers in again without Carl around, but then they'd have to decide who next to roost at night. SO, the answer to your question is: sometimes, yes, no, and maybe.
Thanks for the insight. Uncle Al, my Silkie roo is crowing right now! I think the girls will adjust and will have nicer back feathers without him!
This is my first time raising chickens. I have 14 hens and one roo. They are 17 weeks old. They are not laying yet. Noone submits willingly to the roo, but he chases them all down anyhow. I am hoping once they start laying it won't be so traumatic. I have thought about getting rid of him, but he is really pretty - and I'm hoping he will help take care of the girls... I'm hoping I will see benefits and it's just REALLY early..
I had the farmer pick up my roosters last night and it was the most amazing peaceful calm quiet day out in the chicken run
I've give up my hens before I'd part with my adult rooster Thor. I stopped "hearing" his morning crows a long time ago. Now I have....ah heck, I dunno how many cockerels in the brooder. Unless one decides to cause himself to be re-homed by stirring up trouble with the others, they all get to stay. Rooster crows, cows bawling, feed trucks on the road. It's all a part of country life to me. gryeyes, why not try some hen saddles for Minerva and Millicent? Thor has one favorite girl that has to wear one. She doesn't even notice it anymore.
Your hens will be sad without him. They won't know where he is. Whenever they leave for too long and don't ever come back they think he's dead. Read the Rooster Box section of my page to see how to make him stop waking you up so early.
I have 4 roosters and a few cockerels growing out here. Not too long ago I rehomed 1 of the roosters, my best cochin boy! Because he was soo loud and persistant I thought he'd be a whistle blower for my secret backyard flock. Few weeks go by and his favorite girls were still looking for him just moping around the yard. The person that took him asked if I would take him back because her flock roos wouldn't accept him and he got pretty beat up so I did and after a few weeks in quarentine he jumped right back into the flock as if he had never left only this time he is much quieter. My opinion is my girls were much happier when dudley was here then without him.
