Pros and Cons of keeping a roo

[Raubkatze]

Craziness! My coop is 8x10 and comfortably holds 20 hens and a very gentlemanly rooster. My "run" is a re-purposed garden probably 50x200 or bigger. I never heard anything like this and if I did ... I wouldn't pay any attention to it.

It was total madness, and like I said they were super aggressive about it. Told me I needed to get rid of all of my chickens and get 2-3 bantams instead. I left the group after that. I want the best for my chickens, I think we all do, but expecting people to have a 96 square foot coop is insane.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

It was total madness, and like I said they were super aggressive about it. Told me I needed to get rid of all of my chickens and get 2-3 bantams instead. I left the group after that. I want the best for my chickens, I think we all do, but expecting people to have a 96 square foot coop is insane.

Well hopefully you won't find any aggression here.

 

[Sic]

If you're not going to breed, then there is really no reason to keep a cockerel/rooster, pullets and hens are content without one.

 

[Raubkatze]

Update: I found somebody who is coming to get him tomorrow. He's going to live in a bachelor pad before being introduced to their flock when he's older. It sounds like they have the appropriate setup to separate roosters when needed, and the experience I lack. Win-win all around.

 

[Mrs. K]

Win win!

 

[Mrs. K]

So how did you find someone? Often times people ask, and I am curious how you did it.

 

[Raubkatze]

So how did you find someone? Often times people ask, and I am curious how you did it.

My state has a bunch of FB groups for chickens. I was worried that nobody would want a rooster, but I had quite a bit of interest. Picked the nicest sounding person since I raised him as a pet.

 

[Mrs. K]

Perfect, that can be the hardest part.

 

[Fish guy]

Sorry to make another post about my rooster so soon, but I had a rather traumatic morning.

My roo tried to mount two of my favorite girls this morning, and much chaos ensued. They are only 9.5 weeks old, so nobody is laying yet, or even anywhere near laying age. One of the girls he would not stop harassing. I had to physically get him to leave her alone. Obviously, I cannot stand out in the run all day, so now I am worried about my ladies.

So, help me decide one way or another if he gets to stick around or not. This is not my first time having chickens, but this is my first time having a rooster with my hens. I do not plan to hatch my own eggs; we plan to eat them all. Does having a rooster help flock happiness? Will he protect them once they start to free range? Or are they more trouble than benefit? I feel so bad, I raised him since he was a day old, but I will not have him harming my girls either.

A rooster will do what any male animal of breeding age will do. And they pretty much won't stop. The girls don't need him for anything.

 

[msmidwick]

I had a broody sit on an egg and I let her hatch it. Turned out to be a too. I hadn't had one for some time so we kept him until he just wouldn't stop trying to make babies and my hens backs were raw. He is no longer with us and my hens were quite okay with that. Then I got a wild notion to get another rooster. Seems I now have two with 12 hens. They are both nice so far. My comments lead to the fact that the hens are loving it. The egg production has doubled! Go figure. Mother Nature does wonderful things, doesn't she!