Rooster vs Hawk

[Krcismesia]

Ok so I have a hawk problem and I tried fixing it with a covered run but now it is muddy and I really just want to let them free range. I’ve tried EVERYTHING to get the hawks away, but no luck. I was wondering if a rooster would protect them because our neighbors 2 doors down have many chickens free ranging so maybe they have a rooster. So... thoughts on rooster? Are they mean? Will they attack my hens?
Thanks for any feedback!

 

[cleoandtheflock]

Roosters can all be different
Most don’t attack the hens but overmate with their favorite hens which can lead to a loss of feathers on the back and a beat up comb
Roosters are thought to be very mean always chasing people and pecking them
But really he is doing what you want him to do and protect his hens
Another great thing with roosters is they fertilize the eggs if your looking to have some chicks but if not just collect the eggs
We have had a few roosters in the past we had 2 silkie roosters and they were very protective but being little silkies they didn’t keep the hawks away
We also had a large Maran who was very protective
Rooster crow all the time whenever they want to announce their presence and victories it could be morning night day dawn dusk all the time not just morning
Roosters are great but also not
Tell us what you decide on!

 

[Krcismesia]

Roosters can all be different
Most don’t attack the hens but overmate with their favorite hens which can lead to a loss of feathers on the back and a beat up comb
Roosters are thought to be very mean always chasing people and pecking them
But really he is doing what you want him to do and protect his hens
Another great thing with roosters is they fertilize the eggs if your looking to have some chicks but if not just collect the eggs
We have had a few roosters in the past we had 2 silkie roosters and they were very protective but being little silkies they didn’t keep the hawks away
We also had a large Maran who was very protective
Rooster crow all the time whenever they want to announce their presence and victories it could be morning night day dawn dusk all the time not just morning
Roosters are great but also not
Tell us what you decide on!

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

Roosters most likely will not keep the hawks away

 

[DobieLover]

Ok so I have a hawk problem and I tried fixing it with a covered run but now it is muddy and I really just want to let them free range. I’ve tried EVERYTHING to get the hawks away, but no luck. I was wondering if a rooster would protect them because our neighbors 2 doors down have many chickens free ranging so maybe they have a rooster. So... thoughts on rooster? Are they mean? Will they attack my hens?
Thanks for any feedback!

Roosters will not keep hawks away, but they most likely will sound an alarm for the girls to run for cover.

I personally love roosters and will always have one or two or three in my flock! I love to hear my boy crow. I do not have the coop/pen so close to the house where he is obnoxious when he crows. The only time he crows in the night is when he hears a disturbance and guess what, THAT is another reason I want him around!

If you want to give one a try, they are forever being listed on CL for rehoming. You could then go visit a potential candidate for adoption to ensure he isn't human aggressive. If you watch him and see him doing a lot of standing around and looking, he is trying to watch out for the girls. If you hear him tidbitting, he is trying to show the girls he is a good provider. If you treat him respectfully and let HIM be the flock master (as nature intended) you will likely keep him respectful of you.

If you think you want to give it a try, you will need to prepare yourself to isolate him for at least 2 weeks. Most people do not have the wherewithal to do a proper quarantine. But you would want to give him a very thorough physical before taking him then keep him isolated from the girls to ensure he doesn't have an underlying health issue. Then you could start to introduce him to your flock.

As for your covered run, which is excellent to have, I would lay down a thick (4" or more) layer of wood chips to deal with the mud. Where I live, we can get free wood chips from the Town highway department so I refresh the chips whenever they start to decompose. They smell great when they are first laid down too.

I would also add some logs with large branches on them so the chickens have something to perch on during the day.

 

[Krcismesia]

Roosters will not keep hawks away, but they most likely will sound an alarm for the girls to run for cover.

I personally love roosters and will always have one or two or three in my flock! I love to hear my boy crow. I do not have the coop/pen so close to the house where he is obnoxious when he crows. The only time he crows in the night is when he hears a disturbance and guess what, THAT is another reason I want him around!

If you want to give one a try, they are forever being listed on CL for rehoming. You could then go visit a potential candidate for adoption to ensure he isn't human aggressive. If you watch him and see him doing a lot of standing around and looking, he is trying to watch out for the girls. If you hear him tidbitting, he is trying to show the girls he is a good provider. If you treat him respectfully and let HIM be the flock master (as nature intended) you will likely keep him respectful of you.

If you think you want to give it a try, you will need to prepare yourself to isolate him for at least 2 weeks. Most people do not have the wherewithal to do a proper quarantine. But you would want to give him a very thorough physical before taking him then keep him isolated from the girls to ensure he doesn't have an underlying health issue. Then you could start to introduce him to your flock.

As for your covered run, which is excellent to have, I would lay down a thick (4" or more) layer of wood chips to deal with the mud. Where I live, we can get free wood chips from the Town highway department so I refresh the chips whenever they start to decompose. They smell great when they are first laid down too.

I would also add some logs with large branches on them so the chickens have something to perch on during the day.

Thanks so much for the advice! Will definitely look into all of this! Do you have any breed recommendations for a rooster?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If your neighbor two doors down has a rooster you should hear it. But what a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors. You share a common interest and you have questions. Talk to them about how they manage theirs and what experiences they have had with hawks or other predators.

Different people have different experiences with hawks. While all hawks pose a risk, certain varieties are more likely to hunt chickens than others. The size of the chicken can make a difference too, especially for the smaller hawks. Some people only have problems certain times of the year when some hawks migrate. In Arkansas I had red-tailed hawks all over but only lost one chicken to a hawk in in ten years, not sure if it was a red-tailed or another variety. Other people's flocks get wiped out fairly quickly. I did have an adult dominant rooster with the flock most of the time, including when that one was taken.

You will get different opinions as to how much a rooster helps with hawk protection or any other predator. Some people have seen their rooster attack a hawk, often on the ground after the hawk has killed another chicken as was trying to eat it, but sometimes before the hen died. My roosters were more likely to try to lead the flock to safety if a threat was observed instead of staying behind to protect their rear as they fled. I think a rooster helps a little, but really not that much. You do not get any guarantees of safety just by having a rooster.

I don't know what you mean by asking if a rooster is mean? Are you talking about the other chickens or you and your family? Some roosters of any breed become human aggressive, some don't. Some may attack anybody, some only certain individuals. You may get attacked only when you wear certain footwear. How much interaction you and your family have with the flock plays a part. Many people have roosters that never become human aggressive, but some do.

If you are talking about being mean to other chickens, a lot depends on what you mean by "mean". A good rooster takes care of all members of his flock, breaks up fights and may even help a broody hen take care of her chicks. Not all roosters are good. A good rooster will mate with hens, sometimes chasing them down if they don't cooperate. Some people see that as him being a brutal oversexed maniac, others see it as a normal part of chicken life. Not all roosters are good, some can be pretty brutal to other chickens. Some hens can be pretty brutal to other chickens. No two roosters or chickens are alike. You and I may have different opinions as to what makes a good rooster. You don't get guarantees of anything regarding the behaviors of living animals, you never know for sure how any one will react in certain circumstances. Our perceptions of good and bad play into it also.

 

[Krcismesia]

If your neighbor two doors down has a rooster you should hear it. But what a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors. You share a common interest and you have questions. Talk to them about how they manage theirs and what experiences they have had with hawks or other predators.

Different people have different experiences with hawks. While all hawks pose a risk, certain varieties are more likely to hunt chickens than others. The size of the chicken can make a difference too, especially for the smaller hawks. Some people only have problems certain times of the year when some hawks migrate. In Arkansas I had red-tailed hawks all over but only lost one chicken to a hawk in in ten years, not sure if it was a red-tailed or another variety. Other people's flocks get wiped out fairly quickly. I did have an adult dominant rooster with the flock most of the time, including when that one was taken.

You will get different opinions as to how much a rooster helps with hawk protection or any other predator. Some people have seen their rooster attack a hawk, often on the ground after the hawk has killed another chicken as was trying to eat it, but sometimes before the hen died. My roosters were more likely to try to lead the flock to safety if a threat was observed instead of staying behind to protect their rear as they fled. I think a rooster helps a little, but really not that much. You do not get any guarantees of safety just by having a rooster.

I don't know what you mean by asking if a rooster is mean? Are you talking about the other chickens or you and your family? Some roosters of any breed become human aggressive, some don't. Some may attack anybody, some only certain individuals. You may get attacked only when you wear certain footwear. How much interaction you and your family have with the flock plays a part. Many people have roosters that never become human aggressive, but some do.

If you are talking about being mean to other chickens, a lot depends on what you mean by "mean". A good rooster takes care of all members of his flock, breaks up fights and may even help a broody hen take care of her chicks. Not all roosters are good. A good rooster will mate with hens, sometimes chasing them down if they don't cooperate. Some people see that as him being a brutal oversexed maniac, others see it as a normal part of chicken life. Not all roosters are good, some can be pretty brutal to other chickens. Some hens can be pretty brutal to other chickens. No two roosters or chickens are alike. You and I may have different opinions as to what makes a good rooster. You don't get guarantees of anything regarding the behaviors of living animals, you never know for sure how any one will react in certain circumstances. Our perceptions of good and bad play into it also.

Thank so much for the feedback!!! I will definitely take this advice when deciding!

 

[DobieLover]

Thanks so much for the advice! Will definitely look into all of this! Do you have any breed recommendations for a rooster?

All breeds of chickens can have "good and bad" roosters. It all depends on your definition of such. You need to decide what you want in a rooster and go from there. By getting a mature rooster, you increase your odds of getting one that at least is not human aggressive as he should have already shown his propensity to be such.

But as I mentioned, all he can really do is alert to aerial threats. Some roosters will also go as far as to attack a hawk if he can, but I would consider that trait rare.

You state you are looking into the possibility of a rooster to deter hawks. That will not happen.

 

[Krcismesia]

All breeds of chickens can have "good and bad" roosters. It all depends on your definition of such. You need to decide what you want in a rooster and go from there. By getting a mature rooster, you increase your odds of getting one that at least is not human aggressive as he should have already shown his propensity to be such.

But as I mentioned, all he can really do is alert to aerial threats. Some roosters will also go as far as to attack a hawk if he can, but I would consider that trait rare.

You state you are looking into the possibility of a rooster to deter hawks. That will not happen.

Thank s for the great advice