First time chicken farmer

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chrissynemetz said:
Hi and welcome to BYC! We're glad you joined us! :frow
Congratulations on your new chicks! If one does end up being a cockerel will you be able to keep it?
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I am going to do everything in my power to keep whatever cockerels I end up with. I want them for protection of my girls as well as the enjoyment of a full flock.

We do have a 9 year old which will make things difficult if they show aggression, but I have all intentions of spending a lot of time working with them to limit their aggression as well as educate him on how to treat them.
 
For cockerels (and adult roosters) to protect a flock, they must be IN IT. Too many roosters and the hens will suffer greatly from over breeding. The roosters themselves will be fighting over the hens. Not all roosters have the "guts" to stand up to predators - the ones that do are usually the first to die.

What a good rooster does is alert to danger and sees that the hens are safely back in the coop.

Don't know if several roos would work together to thrash the daylights out of larger predators. Someone else would have to comment on that.
 
drumstick diva said:
For cockerels (and adult roosters) to protect a flock, they must be IN IT. Too many roosters and the hens will suffer greatly from over breeding. The roosters themselves will be fighting over the hens. Not all roosters have the "guts" to stand up to predators - the ones that do are usually the first to die.

What a good rooster does is alert to danger and sees that the hens are safely back in the coop.

Don't know if several roos would work together to thrash the daylights out of larger predators. Someone else would have to comment on that.
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I for sure have 8 hens out of my ten total birds. The two in question currently spend almost all their time together, often sleeping side by side. I find my hens are pushing these two around more than the other way around so far.

I will be closely monitoring them to make sure I stop any negative activity quickly.

My intention with adult Roos is to alert the girls to get back to the coop and also to enjoy hearing their crow in the morning/during the day.

I appreciate the insight and hope to continue to learn from my experience and gained knowledge from everyone here!!
 

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