Question about Roosters: Pro's and Con's

[Southernbelle]

I LOVE roosters and I wouldn't be without them!

The trick is for you to be the "top rooster" in the flock. When my roos were babies I didn't coddle them, so they grew up being a little afraid of me, which is good! They do not challenge me. Right now I have an EE roo and 2 banty roos.

The banty roos can't mate my standard-size girls - they just don't fit together, as much as he tries. So I wouldn't count on a tiny roo to give you fertile eggs.

My roosters are very gentle with my girls - no one has any missing feathers at all and none of the girls are afraid of them. I have 20 hens and 3 roos in a really big coop/run. Whenever I give treats, the boys let the girls eat their fill and if they manage to get any, they usually turn around and give it to one of the girls. They always think of the girls first.

They keep the peace in the coop. My top hen used to be quite mean to the younger hens and I had to seperate them for a while. Once I added a roo, there was perfect harmony. If 2 of the girls get in a skirmish, the roo breaks it up immediately. He gets in between them and the girls back down.

One of my friends' roosters was killed by a dog. Her 7 hens and roo were free-ranging in her fenced-in yard when the dog hopped the fence and ran for the chickens. The hens ran away, but the roo ran towards the dog to protect the girls and he was killed. It happened in front of her son and he asked why the rooster didn't run away, too, because then he wouldn't be dead. She had to explain that's just what they do - they're willing to sacrifice themselves to save the hens.

I think a rooster can be a very valuable addition to a flock - I really love ours.

 

[Shannonwbl]

I am really warming up to this roo idea. My amerucana is definitely my smallest hen - wyandotte the largest. So I guess my husband's wish for a jersey giant is not a good idea.

Any one have a breed suggestion with my group? I want a good strong protective roo that is also a gentleman. Funny - I just realized that is exactly what I looked for in a husband (and found)!

 

[digitS']

click here !

No, I won't suggest the Sebright

. . . (finally got the spelling right).

S

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
We have a SLW roo and only 3 hens, two of which are bantams. My boy is so gentle when he, ahem, "does the deed" that I never hear the girls make a sound during it (I've seen it happen too.) Almost every egg I've eaten has been fertilized so I know he's doing the deed daily

and none of my girls are missing any feathers on their backs. He's very much a gentleman!

Edited to add his handsome mug.

 

[Shannonwbl]

He is VERY handsome. What is an SLW? Sorry I am sort of a newbie.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
Silver Laced Wyandotte... sorry about that.

You can see his chest in this pic and can see the wyandotte lace.

I think he's very handsome, but I'm kind of partial 'cause I do love him.

He sure didn't start out handsome though, he was HOMELY! See...

 

[Shannonwbl]

Oooh! He would go very nicely with my GLW, but she is my big girl. Is he a bantum?

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Roos are very much needed in a flock. You really do need to have more than 6 hens though. A roo will "service" a lot of hens.

Be sure that the roo you get is the same size as the hens. I have had bantam roos that were the terror of the flock. I do not like RIR roos and have not had a nice one yet. The leghorn roo is a big, gorgous and gentle little man.

I have a few bantam hens and a good number of silkie hens. They tend to hold their own with the bigger roos. I have a japanese blacktail hen that will ONLY do the deed with her bladk tail roo.

Pesonally I would not do without a roo. They really do love thier hens when you get a good one.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
No, he is a standard. But he gently fertilizes my 2 bantam girls' eggs in addition to my standard hen's eggs. No one gets hurt and no one is missing feathers. Here he is with his girls so you can get an idea of their sizes. The black hen is a Black Australorp and the 2 bantams are Millie Fleur D'uccles.

We did have a Buff Orpington roo (we weren't supposed to be getting any roos and wound up with 2

) but he was WAY too aggressive with the girls and made them all scream. So he had to go back to where he came. He now has his own BO hens and I'm told that he still is not a gentleman with his ladies. But at least they're all his size!

 

[digitS']

Gabe wasn't a bantam Hamburg, Shannon. He was a standard Silver Spangled Hamburg.

That means he was all of about 4 pounds.

Oh, I'll stop now but for the sake of the memory . . .

Steve