Is a Rooster Necessary?

[jacuzzichickens]

I am new to this whole Chicken raising thing. I got my 6 baby female Chicks on March 4th. I raised them the first 8 weeks in the Jacuzzi in my master bathroom. They are very tame, and lovable. They should be ready to start laying eggs in the beginning of July. Is it necessary to have a rooster around to get them to start laying eggs? If not, what is the best way for me to encourage them to start laying? I am open for any tips on having happy healthy chickens.

 

[ukshamo]

a rooster is realy just there to make the eggs fertile to hatch chicks but if you are just wanting the eggs to eat you dont realy need a rooster but i like to keep a rooster anyway and just give them layers mash or pellets it will help with calcium and egg production hope this helps

 

[chickiegrrl]

I love that you have your jacuzzi tub as your brooder! We have our babies in the living room. I'm going to miss them so much when they go out to the coop.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They don't need a roo to lay. Enjoy your chickens!

 

[amnich]

They're not necessary, but they are good for protecting your hens. They will watch out for any predators, and if need be take on the predator to distract it from the hens. The one bad thing is that sometimes they think humans are trying to hurt their hens and may become aggressive towards people.

 

[BridgeMan]

My wife decided our 9 pullets need "a man" to keep them safe, etc., so tomorrow we're driving 200+ miles to pick up a cockerel she found on CL. Hope he works out all right with the girls, as they've been together since we brought them home from the feed store in early March, and all get along extremely well. They even like their new coop, and cluck contentedly after marching up the entrance ramp for the last time each night, chattering for quite a while as they arrange themselves on the roosts.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My wife decided our 9 pullets need "a man" to keep them safe, etc., so tomorrow we're driving 200+ miles to pick up a cockerel she found on CL. Hope he works out all right with the girls, as they've been together since we brought them home from the feed store in early March, and all get along extremely well. They even like their new coop, and cluck contentedly after marching up the entrance ramp for the last time each night, chattering for quite a while as they arrange themselves on the roosts.

It is best to quarantine for 30 days if possible, to see if illness crops up in a new chicken. Of course there are asymptomatic carriers of respiratory disease also, but it really is great to quarantine in a dog crate with food and water in the garage, for example, if you can. Poultry diseases are rampant and sometimes a chicken can look OK but a few days later be very ill.

Also dust for mites and lice with Poultry Dust, repeating in 7 days for mites and 14 days for lice. Just trying to save you some grief!