Should I buy a rooster for my free-range hens?

[Ridgerunner]

I know you're a sharp guy, most the time, but you again missed my point. Not like you to take multiple shots at me, usually it's one at a time.
I didn't say ~100°F was safe temperature for storage, I said.....Geesh.

You missed the point. They will start developing into chicks at a much lower temperature. They may not hatch but they will develop.

 

[Peggysaurus]

How many hens do you have and how much space do you have? Key points to a happy rooster experience. If this is your first year, wait till you have had chickens a year.

Find some local chicken people, maybe join a poultry club, ask at the feed store, but a year old rooster is your best bet, if you have about a dozen hens and adequate space for such birds.

If you are truly a backyard set up, with just a couple of birds, I would not recommend a rooster.
Mrs K

We now have 8 chickens (one just died yesterday ). This is my second year raising chickens and we are planning on getting some more baby chicks in the spring . We have about an acre 1/2 of the backyard space enclosed.

 

[Peggysaurus]

I'm a bit surprised you are pretty much getting the same opinion from everyone. That doesn't happen on here very often and someone else may chime in with a different opinion. But I agree with the "not yet", if ever.

I heard that roosters warn their hens when there is danger and do a whole lot of other stuff for them.

In my opinion, the protection offered by a rooster is often greatly exaggerated. A good rooster is a fairly good look-out but often the dominant hen will take on this role and some other flock master duties. This look-out is mostly for flying predators. Most daytime-dangerous land-based predators are ambush type so he won't see them in time to do anything about it. Some like possum or raccoon are slow enough that they can evade them during the day if they have enough room. Night when the rooster and the rest are on the roost and helpless is when those are most dangerous. You may occasionally get a rooster that will fight a predator, usually something small like a hawk, but when mine are threatened the rooster leads them to safety. He does not fight a rear guard action to help the others get away.

One thing I have noticed. When something is suspicious the rooster will often get between the flock and whatever the perceived danger is. He checks it out before deciding it's not a problem or that he should warn them to follow me, we are in trouble. There are some safety benefits to having a mature rooster but to me they are very few. The dominant hen often does as well.

However, I also heard that they are mean and aggressive toward people.

Some are, some are not. If that were universally true they would never have been domesticated.

Then there is the whole "egg fertilization" thing and I'm not sure if I want to hatch baby chicks yet.

Then don't incubate them. If you collect the eggs once a day and store them in your air conditioned house or refrigerator they will not develop.

@aart that 100 degrees F is not good info. Recommended incubation temperature is below that by a half degree. They will still hatch at a full degree below recommended (98.5) they will just be a bit late. They won't hatch but they can develop some down in the 80's F, it's just slow. I'e never had any development issues in the upper 70's.

Wow! Thanks for the info!

 

[Peggysaurus]

Ok well, here it comes!

I've always had Roosters and I've never had any trouble other than the typical Roo that goes aggressive, which is an easy fix. I completely disagree with people who say the Rooster doesn't help with predators- my Roosters are always watching and they will immediately warn thew flock if they see a hawk, or if a hen goes off on their mindless excursions and has separated herself (aka easy prey).

Let's also not forget that you can't raise your own, home-bred chickens without a Rooster, which is a very special thing. So there is your counter-point, I love Roosters and think they play a very important role in a flock, most especially a free-ranging one.

And, my last point- if they don't experiment with a Rooster- how are they ever going to know? You can read 10,000 books and posts about Roosters but that will be just a fraction of what you will learn from having one. That's like saying "hey go read about skydiving, you don't actually have to do it if you read about it". To deny the experience is a ridiculous approach to life in my opinion.
I agree . Although, I don't think I'm going to be buying a rooster any time soon. My family and I are
I say go for it, if it doesn't work our for you for some reason (aggression, other) - then find a proper place for your rooster and you have YOUR answer. Heck, if you try and it doesn't work- you can send me your Rooster.

I agree . Although, I don't think we are going to be buying a rooster any time soon. We just made plans to build a new chicken run for our coop and we are going to be doing some remodeling on our house, but we are planning on getting some new chicks/chickens next spring .

 

[centrarchid]

Hey, BYC! I let my hens free-range every few days and I was wanting to free-range them more often. I heard that roosters warn their hens when there is danger and do a whole lot of other stuff for them. However, I also heard that they are mean and aggressive toward people. Then there is the whole "egg fertilization" thing and I'm not sure if I want to hatch baby chicks yet. I've never had a rooster before, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, BYC!

If you were my neighbor, then I would allow you to rent one of mine for little more than a promise. If one proved problematic, then swap him out.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You missed the point. They will start developing into chicks at a much lower temperature. They may not hatch but they will develop.

X2
While one needs a temp just under 100F to make chicks, cell division will begin above 80.6F. From there to 95F is called the zone of disproportional development. Embryos will grow but some organs will outpace other systems eventually leading to the death of the embryo.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

I agree . Although, I don't think we are going to be buying a rooster any time soon. We just made plans to build a new chicken run for our coop and we are going to be doing some remodeling on our house, but we are planning on getting some new chicks/chickens next spring .

Not sure where you are in VA but I'm just North of Charlotte and just hatched 9 chicks and I guarantee at least two of them are Roos (with my luck they're all Roos!). If you want one, come and get it. I have a few that are going to be Sizzles, a couple Frizzles and then one that is a brownish/red hue I've never seen before. They're all mutts of course!

 

[aart]

X2
While one needs a temp just under 100F, cell division will begin above 80.6F. From there to 95F is called the zone of disproportional development. Embryos will grow but some organs will outpace other systems eventually leading to the death of the embryo.

OK,OK...next time I will be more specific about egg storage temps being under 80°F.

 

[Peggysaurus]

I must reiterate, just using the term rooster, ignores the differences in breed characteristics.
To equate the behavior dynamics of a Silkie rooster or expect repeatability to be anywhere close to that of a Minorca, Game or Cubalaya rooster is naïve at best.
I'd like to know what breed/s the OP currently has.

I currently have 5 Plymouth Rocks Hens, 2 Sapphire Gem Pullets (one just died yesterday ), and 1 Sapphire Olive Egger.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I currently have 5 Plymouth Rocks Hens, 2 Sapphire Gem Pullets (one just died yesterday ), and 1 Sapphire Olive Egger.

In my opinion, those are in the middle of the pack for daytime self preservation.
Do you know what killed the pullet? How old was it? Are you planning or making arrangements to get a necropsy?