Rooster or not??

[thegoogers]

Hello everyone, We are new to the forum and to chickens. We are building a 4x8 coop and intend on having 3-4 hens. We want them for the eggs mainly. But thought it would be a good experience for our kids (ages 5,23months & 10 months). There is an auction in our area that usually has RIR hens. We intended on buying those. A neighbor has them and has had great luck with egg production. We have read alot in the last few weeks so a lot of info is running together. Thought we would just ask the experts!! Do the RIR roos get aggressive? Do we have to keep a roo for our hens? If so could we get another breed for the roo?
Neighbors are not a concern due to our rural area and 7 acres.
There may be a better breed for beginners and egg layers, but there is sooo much info about the other breeds it gets confusing to a newbie. Heck I didn't even see the RIR in the breed section.

Any help or advice you could give a newbie would be great.

Patrick & Natasha

ps sorry for all the questions

 

[pkeeler]

You don't need a roo to get eggs. RIR roos are notoriously mean. There is no reason why you couldn't get a roo of another breed. But if you have chicks, they will be mutts (again, nothing wrong with that unless you are doing 4H or something).

RIRs are good dual purpose birds and the hens are generally friendly. An excellent first bird.

The only time I would say you have to get a roo is if you free range. But that is my opinion, and people do free range without them.

Roosters are much more interesting to watch than hens. It is reassuring to hear that crow in the morning, lets you know the chickens survived the night.

 

[kdcrws]

Don't be sorry everyone on here has questions!

U only need a roo if u want babies. Here is a great page to research the diff breeds of chickens. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html#b

I have Buff Orps and Barred Rocks...The BR's r my fav they love attention my orps could take it or leave it. I kind of think it's the individual chicken's personality. Good luck and....

 

[Fowl-Language]

You don't *need* a rooster, but I sure do love to hear mine crow and watch his antics. Mine can be aggressive (he's a Polish) which freaks my daughter out, however. If I were to do it over, I'd get a mature rooster who's proven himself docile as opposed to getting a youngster...something to think about, since you have kids too. I've heard/read that RIR roos can get pretty aggressive, but I'm sure there are plenty that aren't.

Welcome to the chicken addiction!

 

[Chirpy]

Welcome to BYC! We're so glad you found us. Questions are always welcome, that means you want to do the best for your chickens and we love people that love their chickens!

Do use the search function at the top of the page also... that can keep you busy reading for days!

My RIR hen is very nice but certainly not the 'lovey' that some of my other breeds are. My kids can pick her up whenever they want, she just doesn't come to us to be picked up.

I have also heard more negative than positive about RIR Roos. But, you can get a sweet or aggressive Roo in every breed. Some breeds are just 'more likely' to be aggressive or 'more likely' to be nice.

Have lots of fun in your new hobby/addiction.

 

[Biddieacres]

Welcome! You will find so much information here. It is a great place. I love my Rhode Island Reds. They are the first to lay and the first to greet me. You do not need a Roo for them. I have just hens and love them all!

 

[setter4]

Welcome.
We have 10 hens and no roo and my girls have no idea they are missing anything!

We are getting about 5 eggs a day now from the girls who are 5 months old.
You will learn sooooo much on this forum, it's amazing.

 

[chookchick]

I love my roo. But I would not be inclined to have kept him if I had a small child. Read the other post "My rooster hates my daughter?"--they can be nasty to small children. Hens will be verrry entertaining for them!

 

[debilorrah]

You don't NEED a roo, but if you don't have one, a hen may become like a roo, not laying and being dominant. We were very pucky - our roo is not agressive at all.

 

[Mahonri]

If you want great egg size and good production, you can't beat a sex link... black or red. Our red gives us LARGE eggs our black is an everyday egg layer of medium eggs. I wish we could have kept our Delaware roo. He was fun.