Egg producers with roosters

[hdbrat84]

So this is probably a stupid question and you're probably going to laugh at me but I was wanting to know can I have a rooster with my egg laying flock? I am going to be free ranging and we live near a forest park and are on 5 acres so we have our fair share of predators. I don't want them to get eaten this is my first flock and I want them to be safe. People keep saying get a rooster but I am getting the flock to have eggs to eat I don't want anymore baby chicks! Is this possible?? I don't want to eat a baby chicken egg!!!!!

 

[MeepBeep]

No problem, just don't incubate the eggs and for all intents they will be nearly the same as an unfertilized egg...

FYI Free Ranging is the opposite of keeping them safe, just so you are aware if you free range you WILL loose chickens to predators with or without a rooster...

 

[barbiegirl]

You won't have any baby chicks in your eggs if you collect the eggs everyday. The chicks only develop if you incubate them or let your hens hatch them.

 

[hdbrat84]

Oh OK. Thank you guys

I am not sure if I am going to free range I'm still on the fence but I am leaning towards it. We just bought this house and they had a 6 ft high chain link fence with a dog house in the middle with 3 hens and a guinea. So I aproned the outside of the fence with a strong chicken wire and buried it under the gates and I am building a 8 by 8 coop that is 2ft off the ground with hardware cloth over the windows. So I plan on locking them up in the coop at night and there are a lot of trees for cover too.