Should I get 1 roo with 15 pullets??

[Willow's Meadow]

I want to get 15 pullets and I wasn't going to get any cocks. But I am going to free range once they are old enough. I don't want to hatch my own eggs but maybe I should get 1 roo so that when they are free ranging the roo will protect them and warn them. Also I wasn't sure how much roosters actually crow. I've heard they crow every time the see something or someone or when they eat or go to sleep or wake up. But then I've heard other people say they crow only in the morning and at night. We don't live in the city or a small resedential area!! We have four acres with a few fields and woods.And our neighbors recently sold their 4 horses t hat lived in the backyard, so you can see we don't live in the city, but I wouldn't call it the country either. So should I get a rooster??

 

[chkinut]

i'm certainly no expert here....but i always heard that it's one roo to every 10 hens....but maybe that's just for breeding purposes. as far as protection....hopefully someone else can help.

 

[BeccaOH]

For breeding purposes, one roo is not enough. But for a free ranging guard, a roo would be a good idea. The roos do keep an eye on the surrounding and alert the hens to duck and cover. They also will lead the hens to good food sources.

The crowing can vary. I have several roos, so it seems someone is crowing all the time. (Probably competing.

) Back in the day that I had only one boy, it seemed the crowing was minimal.

 

[kittykorat]

Can you have one where you live?
As long as you don't mind the crowing at sunrise, why not?

 

[gunny]

Well my roo starts crowing every morning starting around 4:30 and doesn't stop until after 6:00.. He does a good job gaurding the hens when they are let out into the pasture. He does flap his wings and occasionally crows when danger is near. He is visious though and can't be trusted around my children. I am going to get rid of him soon and hope that the girls will be ok without his leadership.

 

[Happy Chooks]

They crow whenever they want to: when the wind blows, when the dog comes out, when you have guests over, etc. I'm getting used to it now and it doesn't bother me. He crows for about an hour from 5:30-6:30 everyday and then during the day when the mood strikes him.

I have mine for protection of my hens. He's doing a very good job looking out for them. He sees the hawks before I do, there's been times where I look over at him and he's stiff and looking up, so I look up and he's watching a hawk. If it is just casually flying over, he doesn't alarm the hens, but if it's low and sticks around, he lets them know to run for cover.

And I love the clucking sounds he makes when he finds something good for the hens.

Chances are you're going to get a rooster anyway as a packing peanut with your order.

 

[gunny]

My rooster actually faught off my two basset hounds. He is pretty good at what he does.

 

[abanjaf]

I love my two roos (housed together with 13 ladies)! They are good around the kids, because the kids have been handling them since they were babies. I recently had them defend their ladies against a hawk that thought he had found dinner. They are noisy, though. I live on an acre. I usually don't hear them before 6am, but they'll periodically crow all day until bedtime. I, however, enjoy the noise

 

[gryeyes]

My Carl is an accidental roo; he was supposed to be "Carly." The feed store folks said they'd take back any chicks sold as pullets that turned out to be roosters, but by the time I knew for sure, I'd fallen in love with him.

He crows periodically all day. He crows in response to some other rooster somewhere near by. He'll crow from inside the coop at night if something happens, such as my dogs barrelling out the back door, barking. He makes wonderful growly sounds, some soft chuckling noises, and the occasional BAWK! if he's startled. I LIKE his crow - I've even recorded it and use it for the ringer on my phone at work!

The ONLY thing that annoys me is his habit of "nailing" one or two of the girls immediately upon leaving the coop in the morning. I'd want a cup of coffee first, for goodness' sake. He doesn't even let them snatch up some of the BOSS I toss 'em every morning before he's on one!

But he's very gentle, and it's so cute when he finds something special for one of the girls.

He's got 8 pullets in his harem right now, but I have six more "adolescent" pullet chicks segregated from the flock until they get bigger. (Two of them are bantam cochins, so I'm gonna have to keep an eye on Carl around them, I fear.)

 

[Willow's Meadow]

Now out of the 3 breeds I'm going to get as pullets, Brahmas, Deleware and Orpington which one should I order as a rooster? What is BOSS?