Roosters and egg production

[junebuggena]

I've added a Bantam rooster to my flock two and a half months ago, just for fun, and I'm under the impression that egg production has gone up rather. Right now I'm definitely getting more eggs than we need. I've also read somewhere (don't remember the source) that the presence of a rooster can stimulate the hens to lay more eggs...

False. The increase in production is likely due to the lengthening days of spring rather than the rooster in the flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’d still like to see the video to see the context, but commercial egg laying flocks have no roosters. If roosters stimulated egg production, commercial egg laying flocks would have roosters.

 

[peopleRanimals2]

False. The increase in production is likely due to the lengthening days of spring rather than the rooster in the flock.

Yup that's what I was thinking

 

[Dolivo]

Could you please provide a link to that video? I’d like to see the context before I respond. There may be something that qualifies that statement.

sure. here it is. he makes the statement at about 2:20 in

 

[Dolivo]

Why do you want roosters? The only reason you need a rooster I if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is purely personal preference. What do you hope to gain by having roosters?

1 rooster per 10 hens is the most often quoted magic ratio for full sized chickens, 1 to 12 or 15 is more often quoted for bantams. But there is nothing magical about any hen to rooster ratio. Some breeders keep 1 rooster with 1 or 2 hens through the entire breeding season, they are called breeding duos or breeding trios and typically don’t have problems. Many people keep one rooster with over 20 hens and have problems with overbred or barebacked hens. Usually the eggs are fertile with a 1 to 20 ratio. The hen to rooster ratio has nothing to do with whether or not roosters fight. They are just as likely to fight with 1 hen as they are with 20.

Part of the answer may depend on how much room you have. When they mature roosters often split up with each claiming a certain territory and a specific harem. The less room you have the more likely you will see problems with multiple roosters.

I didn't initially want a rooster, still don't know if I do. The main attraction of a rooster for me is flock protection. We have hawks and bald eagles around our home so I'm always concerned about the hens when they are out. I know a rooster would help protect them. However, any rooster who is aggressive or mean will immediately be gone, as I have children and wont tolerate them being hurt when they go out to collect eggs. But if one of my chicks is a male, I will give him a chance to live with the hens and be a good flock protector if he is nice.

 

[peopleRanimals2]

A hand raised roo with a lot of handling might be nicer

 

[peopleRanimals2]

I don't believe what he is saying about the rooster vs. production to be true. Like I said before, hens in a healthy setting that are not being overbred or overcrowded or anything like that should not be negatively affected by roosters. A roo shouldn't effect the regular 25ish hours it takes to develop and lay an egg.

 

[Ridgerunner]

He just added a bunch of roosters to that flock. When you change the pecking order and flock dynamics you can have a temporary drop in egg production. It doesn’t matter if that is adding or taking away roosters or hens. I wonder if that is what he is talking about?

 

[Dolivo]

He just added a bunch of roosters to that flock. When you change the pecking order and flock dynamics you can have a temporary drop in egg production. It doesn’t matter if that is adding or taking away roosters or hens. I wonder if that is what he is talking about?

Maybe. Seemed to me though, that he was saying it pretty straight forward that roosters = stressed hens = less eggs. Maybe I misunderstood.

 

[peopleRanimals2]

He just added a bunch of roosters to that flock. When you change the pecking order and flock dynamics you can have a temporary drop in egg production. It doesn’t matter if that is adding or taking away roosters or hens. I wonder if that is what he is talking about?

Maybe that's it. I didn't watch the whole video

Maybe. Seemed to me though, that he was saying it pretty straight forward that roosters = stressed hens = less eggs. Maybe I misunderstood.

Hmm... maybe