Should I add a Rooster to my flock?

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I love the thought of having a roo, but would it work in my setup? I have 9 hens (6 of which are still pullets), they all live in a pretty big run (I can't free-range due to having a dog). I have had a roo before (Black Australorp), but I sold him partly because he made my hens less friendly to me (more flighty), but also because I wasn't ready to have a rooster (he was supposed to be a hen).
I hesitate to get a rooster because my last one wasn't nice and I don't want my hens to lose their back feathers from too much mating. Also, the idea of eating fertilized eggs is a bit off-putting to me... but I would love to hatch chicks with a broody hen one of these years! Just having another line of protection for my hens is a nice thought, especially because I have lost like 1/2 my flock to both predators and my dog. I would want my roo to be very friendly with me and my hens, is that realistic, though? I just can't decide if a rooster is really worth it. What are the pros and cons of owning one? And what are the best breeds for a super friendly rooster?

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

If you're going for friendly, might I recommend Lavender Araucana? We had a great one, best rooster I've ever had. I like roosters because if you get a good one, they protect the flock, you get chicks, and they can be great chickens.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you get a broody hen, wait 2+weeks, slip day old chicks under her. All the fun of hatching and raising chicks with a broody hen, WITHOUT getting cockerel chicks, which become a new problem to solve.

AArt says roosters are where the romance of raising chickens meets reality.

I don’t really think you would be happy with one, the hens do shift their attention to him, instead of you, or at least all of mine have done so. If they mate they tend to have some feather damage, if you hatch, 50% will be male.

As for which breed? Some are good, some are not in al mo st every breed.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

If you get a broody hen, wait 2+weeks, slip day old chicks under her. All the fun of hatching and raising chicks with a broody hen, WITHOUT getting cockerel chicks, which become a new problem to solve.

AArt says roosters are where the romance of raising chickens meets reality.

I don’t really think you would be happy with one, the hens do shift their attention to him, instead of you, or at least all of mine have done so. If they mate they tend to have some feather damage, if you hatch, 50% will be male.

As for which breed? Some are good, some are not in al mo st every breed.

Thanks for the reality check Yeah, I just think I might regret getting one...

 

[CrystalAnon]

I love the thought of having a roo, but would it work in my setup? I have 9 hens (6 of which are still pullets), they all live in a pretty big run (I can't free-range due to having a dog). I have had a roo before (Black Australorp), but I sold him partly because he made my hens less friendly to me (more flighty), but also because I wasn't ready to have a rooster (he was supposed to be a hen).
I hesitate to get a rooster because my last one wasn't nice and I don't want my hens to lose their back feathers from too much mating. Also, the idea of eating fertilized eggs is a bit off-putting to me... but I would love to hatch chicks with a broody hen one of these years! Just having another line of protection for my hens is a nice thought, especially because I have lost like 1/2 my flock to both predators and my dog. I would want my roo to be very friendly with me and my hens, is that realistic, though? I just can't decide if a rooster is really worth it. What are the pros and cons of owning one? And what are the best breeds for a super friendly rooster?

I was gonna say you’d love it. But if you have a chicken-killer dog, you don’t want a nice rooster, at least towards your dog. But you also don't want new vet visits for your dog. If all you want is a broody hen to raise chicks, you can find someone with a rooster to give you fertilized eggs, or buy eggs from. Or buy fertilized eggs from a hatchery near you.
My neighbor has roosters & hens, but she wants new genetics in her flock soon. I’ll totally trade eggs with her. (When she’s ready to hatch new ones.) She’ll get what she wants & we’ll get eggs we can eat that aren’t our own.

Also, if your chickens are getting swiped by predators but they don’t get to forage, I suggest hardware cloth for the areas you have problems with. And landscape bricks. We found all our landscape bricks on Craigslist for free. We lined the entire outside of our coop with a 2’ hardware cloth skirt, and the entire perimeter of our coop & run with landscape bricks. If predators try to dig under, the bricks fall on them. We’ve had zero issues. And since we have black chickens, we don’t have any hawk issues (in over two years), even though our neighbors do.

 

[CoopBoots]

I love roosters so I'm super biased

For someone who enjoys their current setup, the old saying is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". But if you just have to know for yourself what roosters are like, because you -might- actually love it more, here are my thoughts.

Advice which I tried to follow starting out, and which I received here on this forum, is to get a grown rooster who is so nice someone has been saving him for a good home. Not a cockerel someone just doesn't want to eat themselves; you want that boy that was too sweet to eat and grew all the way up past a year of age, being of no profit to his owner, just because he was too well behaved to simply "get rid of" when it was efficient to do so.

I actually made a minor mistake and adopted a boy who was loved for how he was as a chick and simply tolerated as he grew human aggressive. Don't settle for a cockerel if you want the best shot at a good boy. Get a grown rooster (you can tell as his spurs will be pretty noticeable to huge at maturity. Cockerels barely have anything but nubs for a good while.)

The rooster I have that fits the bill is actually one I raised. You can tell he is the real deal because he:

1. Nicely walks away with no pecking, neck flaring, or flogging when I need to move through where he is.
2. Does not perpetually try to get behind me: A nasty but cowardly rooster is quite the opportunist. They are also capable of deception. They have no trouble acting unconcerned until your back is turned or you are leaning down and vulnerable.
3. Doesn't lower his head, shake it at you, and pick up/drop sticks while circling you. (Imagine how a bull lowers its head and scrapes the ground a bit, and how boxers may circle one another looking for an opening. It is a bit of both of those, and while it slightly looks like pecking the ground and eating grass, it is actually a threat. You will notice he's walking a good circle while focused on you, dropping most of what he picks up, and seeing if you'll let him get behind you for a free attack.)
4. I'm allowed to pick up hens in his presence without provoking any of these aggressive behaviors, even if she squawks a good bit.
5. He almost never pecks, even when I want to pet him around his face. He might try to move away as though it insults his dignity to be pet much, but he is NOT rude or aggressive when I force the issue. This is important for both testing his tolerance and ensuring I can treat him for injuries if they occur.

Different people might say this is a rooster that is TOO easy going, but I don't really believe human aggression is tied to a rooster's ability to warn and protect. Even if it was, though, I care more about my own safety and my ability to provide healthcare to my birds without fear of reprisals.

If finding a good boy sounds like a lot of work, well, I guess it can be. But I will say I count on my boys to stand watch, provide warnings, and spend 24/7 focused on my girls. I can't do for them what he does! Not to mention I consider my friendly ones, well, friends and allies in this whole chicken-keeping adventure. I think he makes the girls happier and a little safer and my days would not be the same without seeing him showing off for them in the yard.

 

[CrystalAnon]

I love roosters so I'm super biased

For someone who enjoys their current setup, the old saying is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". But if you just have to know for yourself what roosters are like, because you -might- actually love it more, here are my thoughts.

Advice which I tried to follow starting out, and which I received here on this forum, is to get a grown rooster who is so nice someone has been saving him for a good home. Not a cockerel someone just doesn't want to eat themselves; you want that boy that was too sweet to eat and grew all the way up past a year of age, being of no profit to his owner, just because he was too well behaved to simply "get rid of" when it was efficient to do so.

I actually made a minor mistake and adopted a boy who was loved for how he was as a chick and simply tolerated as he grew human aggressive. Don't settle for a cockerel if you want the best shot at a good boy. Get a grown rooster (you can tell as his spurs will be pretty noticeable to huge at maturity. Cockerels barely have anything but nubs for a good while.)

The rooster I have that fits the bill is actually one I raised. You can tell he is the real deal because he:

1. Nicely walks away with no pecking, neck flaring, or flogging when I need to move through where he is.
2. Does not perpetually try to get behind me: A nasty but cowardly rooster is quite the opportunist. They are also capable of deception. They have no trouble acting unconcerned until your back is turned or you are leaning down and vulnerable.
3. Doesn't lower his head, shake it at you, and pick up/drop sticks while circling you. (Imagine how a bull lowers its head and scrapes the ground a bit, and how boxers may circle one another looking for an opening. It is a bit of both of those, and while it slightly looks like pecking the ground and eating grass, it is actually a threat. You will notice he's walking a good circle while focused on you, dropping most of what he picks up, and seeing if you'll let him get behind you for a free attack.)
4. I'm allowed to pick up hens in his presence without provoking any of these aggressive behaviors, even if she squawks a good bit.
5. He almost never pecks, even when I want to pet him around his face. He might try to move away as though it insults his dignity to be pet much, but he is NOT rude or aggressive when I force the issue. This is important for both testing his tolerance and ensuring I can treat him for injuries if they occur.

Different people might say this is a rooster that is TOO easy going, but I don't really believe human aggression is tied to a rooster's ability to warn and protect. Even if it was, though, I care more about my own safety and my ability to provide healthcare to my birds without fear of reprisals.

If finding a good boy sounds like a lot of work, well, I guess it can be. But I will say I count on my boys to stand watch, provide warnings, and spend 24/7 focused on my girls. I can't do for them what he does! Not to mention I consider my friendly ones, well, friends and allies in this whole chicken-keeping adventure. I think he makes the girls happier and a little safer and my days would not be the same without seeing him showing off for them in the yard.

Very good advice on adopting, or to know if your young rooster is trying to hoodwink you.
Although my rooster does the fake forage trick all the time with me. He’s gone after me twice in over two years. (He’s never gone after my husband.) But I found it was my lack of attention & awareness that caused it both times. Plus it was spring & the ladies were agitated for some reason that day… so it made him agitated. (Smell of a predator? Not sure why they were acting so upset that day.) Definitely not a deal-breaker. I love my boy.