Roosterless flock

[nctoni]

Well my efforts to get a rooster for the last three months has been for naught. The last little chick I was raising as roo has turned out to be a little girl. So now in my backyard flock I have twelve girls. That is a couple more than I was orginally thinking of but you know chicken math.
I was really wanting a rooster even if just for the sound he provides. How important is it to have a roo for my flock? My coop is 8x8. My run Is 8x16. They can't free range as I only have a half acre. I have second uncovered run that I let them out in about 45 minutes before sunset. It is about 8x10.
If hens go broody are they hard to live with without fertile eggs?
What are the benefits and setbacks to having a rooster in the lot? I have friend that has one if I want it. Lead me which way yall think I should go. Do I want 13 chickens in that small of plot?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

The eggs will not be fertile, but will not stop them from sitting.

Certain roosters are great,some are not.What are you looking for in a rooster?Honestly roosters are not that important unless you plan on having chicks,and/or are looking for a rooster who will literally give his life for his girl,that being said,not all roosters are good protectors,or protectors at all.

But,if you enjoy hearing crows,then why not?But,keep in mind,they never shut up,and some roosters do not have a beautiful crow (Some sound like screaming people...)

 

[write2caroline]

Golf balls will make a broody hen happy.
I have had flocks with out roos and they are fine.

Roosters can be mean and territorial. They don't like it if you give the chickens attention. I have had them eyeball me and some were so bad I had to keep a stick with me to prevent attacks - Not that I would hurt them but sometimes you need to nudge them away.

Eggs are simply a result of ovulation - the chickens don't lay better or more eggs.

Roosters want to breed - often so they can pull feathers out of the necks of your chickens and injure them. I have had to put these chicken pads on my hens so the roosters would not remove the feathers on their backs. Roosters are kind of a nuisance.

I have had great Roosters too. Sweet, friendly, wonderful roosters. - There is just know way to predict what you will get.
Caroline

 

[TheTwoRoos]

You cannot say roosters.Most generally roosters who are "Aggressive" maters,are the ones who make your hens naked.

 

[HnkyDnkyZZFarm]

We've got twelve ladies, no roos. We had two random roos for awhile, and I'll be totally honest. I am not at all sad that they are a tail feather bouquet in the cabinet right now. I may have secretly thanked the neighbors dog. They will be a necessary evil when we start the meat flock and I'm already planning how I'm going to keep them separated unless we're making more chickens - and keep them from mixing into my egg flock, but when it came down to it, they weren't friendly and they crowed all hours of the night and the hens personalities went in the potty. They had eyes for nothing but the rooster. I also don't miss eating fertilized eggs and having torn up hens. They also made some of the hens really neurotic and difficult to handle. I noticed an improvement in the personality of one in particular who was boy crazy the whole time the roos were around almost immediately. She took to trying to follow the drake around with his ladies till he got it through her head that she wasn't a duck and he wasn't interested.

No plans of having roosters that fall into semi-pet status. For awhile I was ready to do them in myself - but I couldn't catch them, and they would fly up into the trees and over six foot fences.

 

[tobit]

I think it completely depends on the rooster, They can provide protection, fertile eggs, are great to look at, and you might like the crowing (depending our her often he crows!), some roosters will be aggressive and some won't (depending on their genetics and how they are raised). I also notice that having a rooster in our flock has reduced how much the hens will peck at each other - which is always nice! Also bear in mind that it is natural for a rooster part of a chicken flock. I can only see over-breeding and aggression as possible negatives to having a rooster, and with 12 hens over-breeding shouldn't be a problem! I think human directed aggression is your only concern.

 

[aart]

Well my efforts to get a rooster for the last three months has been for naught. The last little chick I was raising as roo has turned out to be a little girl. So now in my backyard flock I have twelve girls. That is a couple more than I was orginally thinking of but you know chicken math.
I was really wanting a rooster even if just for the sound he provides. How important is it to have a roo for my flock? My coop is 8x8. My run Is 8x16. They can't free range as I only have a half acre. I have second uncovered run that I let them out in about 45 minutes before sunset. It is about 8x10.
If hens go broody are they hard to live with without fertile eggs?
What are the benefits and setbacks to having a rooster in the lot? I have friend that has one if I want it. Lead me which way yall think I should go. Do I want 13 chickens in that small of plot?

12 is plenty for that space.
Cockbirds can be fun, they can also be a chaotic disaster.
They can be of value for predator alarming if you free range...or they can just be the first bird eaten if they try to directly defend.
They can also make you feel like the prey if they become aggressive.

If this your first year with chooks, I'd hold off on getting a male bird.
First learn the ropes of just having the birds....then start planning for the extra space just to integrate new birds....then maybe a cockbird.

 

[nctoni]

Thank you each one for the replies. I guess I will forget about getting a roo for now. I didn't know that they could be so mean. I love to hear the crows out in the distance. I will learn with my twelve for now and just enjoy the fresh eggs. Thanks for all the comments. If anyone still has comments to make I would really like to hear them.

 

[donrae]

What breeds do you have? How old are your hens?

I'm just thinking, since you mentioned broodiness...if you have a breed that tends to go broody, and get a hen that wants to set. It's easy enough to find fertile eggs locally to place under her, and when you hatch, you're going to average 50% males. You could keep a male you hatched, raise him in the flock. They tend to have much better manners raised that way. A lot of the more aggressive cockerels are raised in a same age flock with all pullets, there's no one in the flock to take him down a peg. A cockerel raised with mature hens, well, he usually learns pretty fast he's not all that....until he's old enough.

But I agree you're pretty maxed for space at this time. If you wanted to brood chicks, you'd probably be best getting rid of a few hens to make room for the littles.

 

[nctoni]

I have three sex link, three orpington, two rhode island red, three wyandottes and on austrolorp. Thanks for all comments. They were born the end of Feb-March this year.