Getting New Baby Chicks Suggestion

[DanielB20]

Hi Erna,

Welcome to BYC! All thought and opinions are welcome here - you will find that some members are outspoken, while others might make suggestions. It's really up to each one of us how we handle and raise our chickens.

I think the rooster collar thing came about because sometimes people end up with roosters who didn't really want them to start with. Rather than killing the rooster to eat, they go the route of trying to quite the rooster down - thus, the collar.

I live on 10 acres in the country, so a crowing rooster is not a problem for me. I still don't want one, but if I end up with any from my latest batch of chicks, then we'll see how it goes.

At any rate, it's nice to meet you.

As a rule of thumb, British English tends to have extra letters in some of the words. If you know that there are two different spellings, the American English is most likely the shorter of the two.

Welcome To BYC!

 

[DanielB20]

I live in a very small town in Illinois. The population is only about 3000. I have 5 acres of property and started off with 8 hens. I live on an agriculture zoned area so I am allowed to have pretty much any animal I would like, including roosters. I decided I wanted a rooster for the purpose of protecting my girls when my girls were 6 months old. I ordered a rooster and a pullet chick from a hatchery. Unfortunatley, they got attacked by a raccoon and didn't make it. I was able to find someone who was willing to give me her favorite rooster and a hen. I brought them home and the rooster was accepted into the flock immediatley but the hen was injured by one of my original girls. My rooster crows constantly, but he is amazing. He breaks up fights, calls the hens over to him when he finds food, protects any injured birds, warns his girls when a predator is near, and makes sure everybody goes to bed on time. He also mates with them, a lot. They don't enjoy that and I know they would lay better without the stress of having him around, but for me personally, the benefits outway the disadvantages.

In your situation though, I don't think a rooster would be good for you. My rooster is very happy because I do not need to worry about him crowing. I do not need to keep him quiet...he can be as loud and obnoxious as he wants and even if my neighbors don't like it, my rooster is allowed to stay at my house because I am zoned for ag and not in a suburban area. You on the other hand, would have to keep him quiet which isn't nice to the rooster who wants to crow. He would fertillize almost EVERY SINGLE EGG. You can eat fertillized eggs without any difference to taste or quality but as I understand, you want to hatch out the fertillized eggs so if you did that you probably wouldn't have any eggs to eat. With only 4-5 hens, they would be mated constantly and would take a beating from him. Their feathers on their back would be ripped out and they would be bare. You would need to buy them hen saddles for their protection which can expensive if you have to buy one for every single hen.

The collar DOES NOT stop him from crowing, it just makes the sound quieter but the collar is uncomfortable for them to wear and has killed roosters in the past. Even if the collar managed to make him quieter, a neighbor could complain at any time and you would have to rehome your rooster.

Plus if any eggs you hatch are boys, you will have to get rid of them and finding homes for roosters ins't always the easiest. Are you planning on keeping every pullet that hatches out? You will have a lot of chickens and not much room to put them.


BUT if all that sounds doable to you, and you know that both your hens and rooster will probably be unhappy, then go ahead and get a rooster. I reccomend a salmon faverolles rooster. They can get big, but are very docile. Also as far as the hen goes, get an easter egger or a marans. My reccomendation would to be to just get 2 or 3 more hens and no rooster.

WOW, love your chicks photos