A rooster is a personal choice. Yes, he may keep the hens in line, but so will a dominant hen. My hens have never had a problem putting themselves in the coop at night when I haven't had a rooster. As far as "guarding" your chickens, most of the time a rooster is an alarm system more than a guard or protector. Again, a dominant hen may also keep an eye out for predators and alert for danger. Quite often, a rooster is just a speed bump in a predator attack. He gets eaten first, then the predator gets the hens. I would say if your flock is peaceful, the neighbors are happy, and you're content with things the way they are, skip the rooster. Yeah, they can be helpful, and they can be a royal pain in the butt. You just never know. One other thing to consider. If you want your chickens tame and to come to you, I'd definitely skip the rooster. Mine tend to herd the hens away from me when I'm out and about with the chickens. I'm OK with that, as long as they don't come after me. I prefer a rooster that keeps his distance. I make a point of just walking through them every day, keeping them moving until I get tired of that game.
