Rooster, rooster in the pen, what are doing to the hen?

[Chickenuser]

Okay, I don't have a roo yet. But I have heard you should get one.
I am planning to sell/eat my eggs, and I don't want them to be fertilized. But I wonder if the hens NEED a rooster.
If I do get a rooster, how can I tell if the eggs are fertilized or not?

 

[Llysse]

The hens don't need a rooster to lay eggs, but some people like to have a rooster around to complete the social structure of the flock, even if they aren't planning on hatching their eggs. If you have a rooster and you let him run with your hens, your eggs will be fertilized unless there's something wrong.

However, you can eat fertilized eggs just as well as unfertilized ones... some people even think they have more health benefits. Just gather them every day and refrigerate them. You can't tell the difference between a fresh, new fertilized egg and an unfertilized one by look unless you can see the single fertilized cell.

Other people don't like to have roosters around because they can be more aggressive and because they crow. It's just a personal choice for the chicken keeper.

 

[Pringle_Sussex]

Hey Chickenuser,
only if you're planning to breed and multiply your flock... then there really isn't a need for a rooster... chickens live and lay eggs happily without a rooster.. having a rooster doesn't increase egg production nor decreasing ( corret me if i'm wrong)
I think roosters are quite beautiful,... its up to you.... but i've had chickens on their own without a rooster and i've never had a problem...

Hope that helped

~Pringle~

 

[Chickenuser]

Thanks.
I heard once that a family did not have a rooster, and the chickens started acting like one. I just wanted to be sure.

 

[Llysse]

That can sometimes happen, but I don't think it's very common.