Hello from Northern Cali!

[Family Farming]

Welcome to BYC! You will find all the chicken answers you need here.

 

[drumstick diva]

BYC is the best place to be if you love chickens

 

[Michael OShay]

There are pros and cons to having a rooster in your flock. They can be summarized as follows:
The pros:
1. A rooster will mate regularly with his hens, ensuring an ongoing supply of fertile eggs which are needed for breeding more chickens.
2. A rooster will protect his hens by alerting them to predators that are approaching the flock.
3. A rooster will call his hens when he’s found a food source (this is only a pro if you free range your chickens).
4. A rooster crows, usually fairly frequently (this is only a pro if you like the sound of crowing roosters).
5. A rooster looks cool, and often colorful, strutting around the farm or in the run.
The cons:
1. You want eggs for your table, but do not want to hatch chicks or eat fertilized eggs (some people apparently like your husband are repelled by the idea).
2. You and/or your neighbors don’t like the sound of a rooster crowing all day long.
3. Roosters are not allowed in your neighborhood by municipal regulations.
4. You have fewer than eight hens.
5. You don’t want to have to remove the rooster’s spurs from time to time.
6. Hens will not be injured by a rooster’s spurs or beak during mating.
7. You won’t have to worry about an overprotective rooster becoming aggressive and jumping or pecking at people.
My suggestion is that you and your husband go over this list together and come to an agreement. You will both be much happier and enjoy the flock more if you do.