MUST one keep roosters in a flock????

[kimntep]

Frankly, I'm just tired of dealing with two of my roos. I have 24 pullets and three roos, one of which is a tiny guy, but the boss man and I wouldn't get rid of him for anything bc we just love him. I have a GLC whom I used to love, but he now attacks my daughter with a vengeance and I've not been able to break him, no matter what we've tried. Roo number three just exists, mates once in a while, but when he does is extremely aggressive to the point that several of my girls have been featherless on their lower backs for months and months. My question is..my old neighbor says it's best for egg production, not just fertilization, for the boys to keep the girls ahem.."stimulated" and more regularly laying. Is there any truth to this? I have a veterinarian friend who says it's hogwash and to send them to the freezer coop!

 

[Kanga77510]

We've had roosters and then we've had times without roosters. The girls seem happier without the boys around. We had a long period of time without a rooster and a couple of my hens took up "mating" everyone else. It was a confusing time in the yard, LOL. We have a bantam rooster now, and he's a good dude.

 

[kimntep]

We've had roosters and then we've had times without roosters. The girls seem happier without the boys around. We had a long period of time without a rooster and a couple of my hens took up "mating" everyone else. It was a confusing time in the yard, LOL. We have a bantam rooster now, and he's a good dude.

Our little one, who's my avatar, is a very cool guy and so great at caring for the ladies..the other guys, not so much. I've tried so hard to give all of them happy lives, that I just don't want them, especially the older ladies, to be miserable at all with these other two being so aggressive. Beside the fact that Fuzz, in the background of my avatar, REALLY lays in to my 12-yr old daughter EVERY time she's around. She's beat the crap out of him with a broom on many occasions and he just treats it as a challenge. He's going for sure!

 

[kimntep]

That's all I get? Come on, I need advice here! I have someone on their way and I don't know if I should let both go or just the terrorist.

 

[catydid4199]

I would definetely start with letting the trouble-maker go. If the other two can exist together, then I would keep them. If trouble still brews, any flock is definetely more peaceful with only one roo.

 

[Jitamon]

I don't tolerate ANY aggression towards humans from my flock, if that was my rooster he would be in the freezer coop as you call it.

 

[Blondiechic]

I have five girls and no roo as we aren't allowed. I had to send him to a friends place. My girls are all very happy, lay eggs and have their pecking order sorted. I don't believe they are worse off, a couple didn't appreciate onslow advances anyway!

 

[SIMZ]

We've found that it's much more peaceful with only one rooster -- especially if it's a rooster that YOU like!

Your girls will be just fine without a rooster at all. I'd venture to agree with the others that they'll probably be happier with only one rooster (or even none!).

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

Rehome or freezer camp both of them. One tears up humans the other tears up the hens. The 2nd one may decide that the human tearing up slot is open once the other one goes, so I'd just head off all the trouble at the pass and get rid of both.

 

[Den in Penn]

I'll add that the old tale of rooster boosting egg production is wrong. If it were so every commercial egg producer would have roosters in with the hens. At least the cage free ones would.