Just how useful is a rooster anyway?

[ScottKelly1974]

You have good looking Bus.
My lead hen grew up with cats. She happened to be my oldest and I've seen her go after the cats, other birds, anything except Squirrels and hawks. When my hatchery hatching eggs provided me with three roosters, they would all try to out mate eachother. But they collectively protected the flock. The roosters were good at watching the flock and warning them. I am now on the second generation with four roosters. Two of them are aggressive. They have bit me, gone after those pesky squirrels. This may be in large part due to them seeing a bobcat having broken in and killed all except one adult hen, and a hawk having made a meal out of one of their brothers.
But now I have separated them since they each knock eachother off the hens when one tries to mate with them.

The upbringing of the roosters is going to set the stage. If you are raising more roosters, let them see the cat and dog, if you have those. Knowing the dangers out there is going to make them more vigilant as adults. Some may not be the leader, but together they could provide some added security.

 

[timothyyoung]

Our roo was very attentive to his ladies. He always put himself between then and whatever he perceived to be a danger. Always kept an alert eye to predators and alerted, always let the ladies eat first, could not have asked for a better protector for the flock. Unfortunately he was an ass to the humans and made is last mistake with me last week. We are struggling with whether we need another roo or not.

 

[Jerri Mcelwee]

Donald Trumpster is just cute and very friendly. He earns his feed just for that!

I think the idea of a rooster sacrificing himself for the girls is largely a myth.
I know some have and will do that but I think it’s rare.
In reality his job is to breed more chickens and lead the girls to a safe place when there’s danger.
But these young cockerels we get from hatcheries and breeders are completely inexperienced juveniles who have no mature rooster to observe and learn what they’re supposed to be doing.
It’s not a natural environment where they would have birds of all ages and sexes within the flock.

Ultimately its my job as a keeper of a domestic animal to keep them as safe as I can.

 

[currycat]

I agree with @sylviethecochin. If your not wanting/needing fertile eggs to produce chicks I see no reason to have a rooster.

I would guess you don't have flying predators where you live. We will not be without a rooster, if ours dies or is killed we immediately post we need a roo. Two fought to the death, one with a neighbors gd hunting dog that got out and one with a coyote. We free range during the day and the hens rarely look up from their pecking, the roo herds them under stuff if he see's what he takes to be a danger. We have bald eagles, 2/3 different hawks, osprey and vultures that fly over and in 10 yrs. have not lost a bird to a bird of prey. We do crack up when he herds them under something and we look up and see a sm. private plane, he's just making sure.

 

[currycat]

Our roo was very attentive to his ladies. He always put himself between then and whatever he perceived to be a danger. Always kept an alert eye to predators and alerted, always let the ladies eat first, could not have asked for a better protector for the flock. Unfortunately he was an ass to the humans and made is last mistake with me last week. We are struggling with whether we need another roo or not.

Sometimes you need to try a couple before you get a good one. Ours is like yours except for the mean streak, any like that go to the auction, we will not keep a mean roo. We also have flying predators that the hens never watch for, he does and does a good job.

 

[Eggscaping]

I am late to this discussion, but I think that the OP put the part about "you weak, useless creature" to illustrate their immediate, first thought. Inner dialogue. Knee-jerk response. you know. I know I certainly do that - like when someone does something stupid in traffic. The words I mutter as I clench the wheel are certainly not fit for anyone's grandmother to hear! I think they took a risk by posting inner thoughts out to the group of us...and showed trust. Like you do when you talk to a friend!
I did think, as I read the continuing posts, "Geez, some of the replies are a little testy." I was a bit bemused. OP shook a fist at the rooster, not any of the folks who replied. No humans were insulted!
I hope everyone can be gentle with everyone else. Kind and gentle! I promise that I will be - no matter if I'm given criticism or correction. But please do be gentle. I think the world could do with a whole lot more gentleness!

 

[Eggscaping]

"I'll let those with a less passionate view respond and hope you accept my apologies for any offense caused.

 

[Curnow]

Awwww! By the way I just saw this as a feature thread on the homepage and that picture is my Roo, the one I said runs away too but is good for his girls he is sleeping with them, the hen pictured is Goldie I will post it here so anyone can see it

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Oh what a BEAUTIFUL pair!

 

[turtlebird]

My rooster is INDISPENSABLE. He keeps the bully hens in order. That is worth everything. He also alerts to threats. He is always watching. He would probably run like a banshee for cover like the rest of the hens, but at least they all had fair warning. I would never keep another flock without my favorite silver spangled hamburg rooster.

 

[deeglenn]

Hi all,

I've posted a few times about my back and forth thinking regarding keeping a rooster that showed up in our first order of sexed chicks. We ended up with four hens and a RIR rooster. There were a lot of up and down moments, but in the end our observation seemed to be that our little flock was well enough balanced and we figured the rooster provided some extra protection for our free ranging birds.

Thing is, I've been of the mind lately that our rooster actually doesn't do much protecting. We got a dog about two months ago, and while she is always leashed, she loves to make hopeless runs at the curious hens who always show up around us when we go outside. I couldn't help but notice that the rooster seemed unperturbed and also would turn and scoot when the dog showed anything resembling aggression.

Then this morning, as I sat at the breakfast table shortly after letting the flock out of the coop, I heard an almighty commotion. I turned around just in time to see perhaps the most beautiful fox I've ever seen in the wild gleefully chasing my flock through the yard. Everything happened pretty quickly - the dog was thrown into its pen, I ran barefoot into the yard yelling, and chickens were flying everywhere - but a lasting impression was the rooster, far ahead of his flailing hens, hightailing it behind the house. Luckily, no damage was done besides a few ruffled feathers.

When things had calmed down and I went to reassure the hens that all was well again, I found the rooster, as always, mounting his girls. And I just thought, you useless, cowardly creature. You haven't earned that right.

So does this sound like an inordinately ineffective bird? Or is this just par for the course? We put up with the rooster's noise, the girls put up with his insatiable sex drive, and for what? (For what it's worth, to balance the flock more we are adding an additional 4-5 laying hens in June).