Pros/cons of keeping a rooster?

[Lilwanis]

One of our chickies is a definite cockerel. He is our RIR and started life here as "Henrietta" but now is Henry. He is currently somewhere between 9 and 11 weeks old. He and my BO pullet are my two friendliest. He likes to sit in my lap and be pet, just lays there until I remove him.

It is really hard to think of him as "dinner" but I have read and heard a lot about roosters being aggressive as they mature. Since he is currently my "lap chicken," that is also hard to imagine, but I am a first timer with chickens, so am inclined to believe what others say.

So I would like to ask, are there any good reasons to keep a rooster? Any thing that I should be aware of? Do their nutritional needs differ? Should I keep him in a different pen? Anything I haven't thought of?

Thank you for any advice and help.

 

[questions543]

Yes there are MANY good reasons to keep a rooster. They protect you flock, fertilize your eggs( you can still eat them with no negative side affects) and are general prettier.

Anything to be aware of? They crow ALOT . not just when the sun comes up but at 4:30 in the morning ALL the way to dusk.

There nutritional needs do not differ especially if they free range.


Roosters can be friendlier than hens. Not all roosters are aggresive and if hes a lap chicken nothing will change most probaly.

Roosters are my favourite most of the time but they do not lay eggs and some people like me are not allowed to own them because of bylaws

You will probaly will not be dissapointed

 

[Lilwanis]

I should also add that I have kids ranging in age from 2-19.

 

[questions543]

roosters CAN have problems with kids but if they grow up with them/ are handled nicely and mostly introduced to little kids properly there will be no problem

 

[Lilwanis]

Thankyou Questions

 

[questions543]

no problem its what we're here for

AND

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Pros: Keep the girls safe,you get fertile eggs,if you like hearing them crow (i do).

Cons: If you don't like hearing them crow,they can be aggressive.


They don't need any special care, just treat him like the others. You don't need to keep him in a different pen unless for some reason you want too, but he might get lonely.

I had a "lap rooster" and he was the sweetest rooster ever. As he matured he did get a little aggressive but I knew what pushed his buttons so I knew how to act around him. My siblings didn't so he scared them a couple times and I didn't want anyone to get hurt so I gave him to a friend and they love him.

 

[warmwater]

I have 7 roosters.....3 in their own pen/run.....3 in our green coop (they grew up together)....and 1 with my

hens. I have so many roosters because two years ago I let two of my broody hens hatch eggs.

All of my roosters are friendly. I can go pick them up and hold/carry them around. CJ, the one I have

with the hens, is not aggressive. We enjoy our boys as much as our girls!

 

[cafarmgirl]

My RIR roo was a lap bird too, until he hit about 9 months or a year old. Then the hormones kicked in and he turned into a holy terror. When the hormones kick in you get the full Jekyl/Hyde effect. But with some training and some time for him to mature he settled down and is really quite decent, he turned three this past March. I let them get to be about 1 1/2 years old and if they are still terrorists by that age then I get rid of them.

Personally I would not have a rooster if I had a toddler following me around and the two would have access to each other. If the bird was penned all the time then maybe. To me it's just not worth the risk, toddler's faces are right at roo height and the way they move about often sets birds off.

 

[Lilwanis]

Thank you so much for your responses! My biggest concern has been for my baby girl when it comes to having a rooster. The next youngest child is 8, and she is really good with the chickens. I have had Kaia on my lap a few times while giving treats to the chickens, but they are all so mellow right now I don't think she could set them off. It's so hard to rehome a rooster. Our house is one of the only houses within SLC that can legally have a roo. Anyhow, thank you again for your responses.