Rooster or not?

[theoldchick]

I really didn't want a rooster, either. I requested 15 pullets and received 16 chicks of which two were cockerels. I wasn't pleased when I saw those tiny combs sprouting. However, as they grew, they were taught to respect me, and I gave away the lesser rooster.

All I have is Stan the Man. While he is gentlemanly with the ladies, I do have to remind him of who is boss. He's not insistent about his status so, for now, we get along.

And roosters are fun to watch.

 

[ChickenMack]

You don't NEED a rooster if all you want are eggs. If you want chicks hatched by your hens (if you get a broody one) you will want a rooster. I loved my first roo until he attacked my daughter, then he went to freezer camp. My roo now is one of his offspring and I am not really digging him so after I get another batch to hatch (praying for a hen to go broody) he will be sent to freezer camp.

But I will say, if you have children, having a rooster is a good start in teaching basic biology. Also, he does take care of the hens by watching while they peck around, alerting them to dangers and atatcking predators (all of the same stuff we expect from our men). And they are really quite beautiful and entertaining.