Should I get a rooster?

[z3lda3]

Yes that tiny beautiful raptor was being very determined in its attempts. I think it may have been young or had eyes bigger than its beak.

I would be more worried about the coyotes, coons and hawks. The wild small birds are more likely to bring mites and lice.

Yup there's worries but they can all be overcome. Chickens and those wonderful eggs are well worth the effort.

Nooo I forgot about mites and lice! DE helps with that right?? Like putting some in the dust baths? Or all over the yard?

 

[CoopBoots]

I’ve also got at least 12-13 crows that hang around. I heard crows were territorial and would deter hawks. Do you know if there’s any truth to that? (Please don’t tell me crows attack chickens)

I feed my local crows and see them chase hawks fairly often. I don't know if feeding them in winter helps keep them around but I've found them useful, so they get paid in peanuts Not a perfect solution but a nice addition to a protection plan!

 

[z3lda3]

I feed my local crows and see them chase hawks fairly often. I don't know if feeding them in winter helps keep them around but I've found them useful, so they get paid in peanuts Not a perfect solution but a nice addition to a protection plan!

Just added protection-any bit helps. I’ll definitely be feeding my murder of crows this year! Thanks for the peanut tip!

 

[FlockFinderWest]

I love my rooster so much. A good rooster will be gentle with you, help herd the flock, show his hens the best treats and places to lay, break up squabbles, and of course, protect his hens. A rooster will typically sacrifice his life for his hens. Some roosters are cowards and will run and hide. The negatives with roosters however can be overbreeding- especially with only four hens, a rooster that is too violent with his hens, a rooster that is aggressive with you (this is really a luck of the draw thing, though going to a show breeder or purchasing certain breeds can increase your odds of having a gentle rooster, handling lots or very little as a chick has little impact on how the adults turn out) and also they can make your hens go broody more often. That being said if you’re in a position to have a rooster and want one, you’ll be helping out one of the millions of roosters that are culled annually

 

[z3lda3]

I love my rooster so much. A good rooster will be gentle with you, help herd the flock, show his hens the best treats and places to lay, break up squabbles, and of course, protect his hens. A rooster will typically sacrifice his life for his hens. Some roosters are cowards and will run and hide. The negatives with roosters however can be overbreeding- especially with only four hens, a rooster that is too violent with his hens, a rooster that is aggressive with you (this is really a luck of the draw thing, though going to a show breeder or purchasing certain breeds can increase your odds of having a gentle rooster, handling lots or very little as a chick has little impact on how the adults turn out) and also they can make your hens go broody more often. That being said if you’re in a position to have a rooster and want one, you’ll be helping out one of the millions of roosters that are culled annually

Personally I love roosters! They’re beautiful and I find their crows nostalgic. I grew up in the country with plenty of neighboring roosters. I have an acre+ fenced in land/yard in the county so almost no chicken or rooster ordnances. I wouldn’t get a rooster thinking he’s expendable just maybe more protection. Im definitely an animal spoiler, so socializing with a baby rooster would be no problem. I’d hate for my hens to be bullied/hurt by a rooster. Would getting a bantam rooster help with that? Or be absolutely pointless protecting hens. I know bantams are tiny. If I decide on a rooster, do you have any recommendations for a more docile breed? Or a less aggressive breed?

 

[FlockFinderWest]

Personally I love roosters! They’re beautiful and I find their crows nostalgic. I grew up in the country with plenty of neighboring roosters. I have an acre+ fenced in land/yard in the county so almost no chicken or rooster ordnances. I wouldn’t get a rooster thinking he’s expendable just maybe more protection. Im definitely an animal spoiler, so socializing with a baby rooster would be no problem. I’d hate for my hens to be bullied/hurt by a rooster. Would getting a bantam rooster help with that? Or be absolutely pointless protecting hens. I know bantams are tiny. If I decide on a rooster, do you have any recommendations for a more docile breed? Or a less aggressive breed?

I keep bantams only and I like to recommend bantams for first time rooster owners. They are easier to manage, less intimidating and not likely to overbreed hens. They perform all the functions of a normal rooster. Some larger bantam breeds will be almost the size of a medium breed hen, like a bantam Brahma or bantam Cochin. Breeds that are typically gentle are Brahmas, Orpingtons, favorelles, Cochins. There are a couple of others. That being said hatcheries don’t select for temperament as much as an exhibition poultry breeder would, so look around and see what’s available locally. Most show poultry breeders have cull cockerels they sell that have already been well handled. Starting at 5 months of age cockerels go through their “Rooberty” which is a period of strong hormones and emotions and can last 1-2 years. This makes or breaks a rooster and can turn any young previously friendly bird into a defensive and confused bird. An option is to buy an older rooster that has already gone through this hormonal phase and is proven to be gentle. There are tons of roosters always out for rehome. My current rooster is an absolute gentleman, but he had 5 brothers. I raised them all the same with lots of handling every day. Several of them towards the end of my time with them were starting to become very feisty and bitey, only Wes and two of his other brothers remained easy to handle

One downside of bantams is their crow travels a lot farther than large fowl because of their high pitch voice. I can hear my rooster from inside the house but I can barely hear my neighbors large fowl cock when I’m outside

 

[21hens-incharge]

Nooo I forgot about mites and lice! DE helps with that right?? Like putting some in the dust baths? Or all over the yard?

DE does not really work. It is indiscriminate in what it affects and bees are often the victim. It's my recommendation not to use it at all. It doesn't cure anything and is a lung irritant for both you and the birds.

In over 25 years of keeping chickens I have only had 2 mite infestation events. Both of those were treated with proven treatments.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Sounds to me like you have a rooster in your future...
How much space do you have for more birds? If you want a rooster, by all means get one but you should get more girls also for him. Some keep 3-4 hens with their roosters and it works, others keep more and they get overbred. It's an individual thing that you have to deal with when the time comes. I, myself have 9 girls with each of my flocks but my roosters do have favorites they breed more than the others.
What size is your coop and run?
Measure feet by feet separately.
Pics help here.
Your first step is to plan for chicken math and have the coop and run ready for how many birds you want. Go big because chicken math... And a small additional isolation coop/cage and run is almost a must have with feisty boys, a medical ward for a ill chicken or integration purposes.

Here's a couple ways you could do this... Pick out some more girls and a boy and raise them now. (If you can find them around the same age even better) and start to integrate. But I'm gonna suggest that isolation coop and run when your boy starts harassing the girls. Boys mature faster than girls, he wants to mate and they have no clue what he's doing and it stresses them out. So your going thru that adolescent stage that drives you bonkers with his attitude and antics, but somewhere around a year old he starts to settle down and life is mostly good....
Or you could take this time, evaluate your setup and plan for next spring to get more plus a boy. Or get more girls and integrate them this year and like said, look for a rooster that's being culled next spring that's past the adolescent stage with a good temperament and introduce him to your girls.
This gives you some experience and time to decide what's best and what breed of rooster you'd like for eye candy. A few different options for you to consider.
Your final thought.... Get your hugs and kisses in now with your girls because when you introduce that man it all stops. A rooster changes the flock dynamics and these girls that love to lay on your shoulder and get snuggles are now 'His' girls and I'm stressing this especially if you have young children. He will not tolerate a young child chasing his girls around.
Remember, he's hardwired to 'protect and service' his girls and will do a much better job than you, so if you learn to respect that and treat him accordingly you'll get a great flock leader and a joy to have in the yard. I love my boys and wouldn't ever not have a rooster in my flocks.
Good luck with whatever you decide... Hope some of this helps.
Rooster tax below

 

[z3lda3]

Sounds to me like you have a rooster in your future...
How much space do you have for more birds? If you want a rooster, by all means get one but you should get more girls also for him. Some keep 3-4 hens with their roosters and it works, others keep more and they get overbred. It's an individual thing that you have to deal with when the time comes. I, myself have 9 girls with each of my flocks but my roosters do have favorites they breed more than the others.
What size is your coop and run?
Measure feet by feet separately.
Pics help here.
Your first step is to plan for chicken math and have the coop and run ready for how many birds you want. Go big because chicken math... And a small additional isolation coop/cage and run is almost a must have with feisty boys, a medical ward for a ill chicken or integration purposes.

Here's a couple ways you could do this... Pick out some more girls and a boy and raise them now. (If you can find them around the same age even better) and start to integrate. But I'm gonna suggest that isolation coop and run when your boy starts harassing the girls. Boys mature faster than girls, he wants to mate and they have no clue what he's doing and it stresses them out. So your going thru that adolescent stage that drives you bonkers with his attitude and antics, but somewhere around a year old he starts to settle down and life is mostly good....
Or you could take this time, evaluate your setup and plan for next spring to get more plus a boy. Or get more girls and integrate them this year and like said, look for a rooster that's being culled next spring that's past the adolescent stage with a good temperament and introduce him to your girls.
This gives you some experience and time to decide what's best and what breed of rooster you'd like for eye candy. A few different options for you to consider.
Your final thought.... Get your hugs and kisses in now with your girls because when you introduce that man it all stops. A rooster changes the flock dynamics and these girls that love to lay on your shoulder and get snuggles are now 'His' girls and I'm stressing this especially if you have young children. He will not tolerate a young child chasing his girls around.
Remember, he's hardwired to 'protect and service' his girls and will do a much better job than you, so if you learn to respect that and treat him accordingly you'll get a great flock leader and a joy to have in the yard. I love my boys and wouldn't ever not have a rooster in my flocks.
Good luck with whatever you decide... Hope some of this helps.
Rooster tax below
View attachment 3792096

Wow thank you for the information!! I have 2 coops actually one is a converted playschool playhouse, I figured would be good for the teenage stage. And a MUCH larger coop, it was an old wooden shed my husband “remodeled”. It’s (I guesstimating) 12x16 ft. He also made 2 rooms inside, in case we had to separate the girls for whatever reason. The smaller run in 3x12ft and the larger run in 12x20. I’ve got about an acre-ish of fenced in yard as well. I will definitely post pictures at some point.
I’m getting a rooster tomorrow I can’t help myself! I’m just not sure about which breed. I seen a silkie Rooster who was beautiful, but my son said he looked too fancy to actually protect anybody, and my husband asked how it could see any predator with those hat feathers lol.
My children are pushing teenagers so I’m not worried about them chasing chickens. I feel like they’d learn pretty quickly not to anyway.
If I get more girls and a rooster (oh it’s happening) should I stick with the same breed? My red sex links are so funny, and lovable. But I seen a SOLID black chicken (a caymen or ciman I don’t remember) it was beautiful. And one I think called a zombie chicken?? So pretty. But your boy is beautiful too, which breed is he?
Is it possible to get a chicken addiction?!

 

[wrathsfarm]

Wow thank you for the information!! I have 2 coops actually one is a converted playschool playhouse, I figured would be good for the teenage stage. And a MUCH larger coop, it was an old wooden shed my husband “remodeled”. It’s (I guesstimating) 12x16 ft. He also made 2 rooms inside, in case we had to separate the girls for whatever reason. The smaller run in 3x12ft and the larger run in 12x20. I’ve got about an acre-ish of fenced in yard as well. I will definitely post pictures at some point.
I’m getting a rooster tomorrow I can’t help myself! I’m just not sure about which breed. I seen a silkie Rooster who was beautiful, but my son said he looked too fancy to actually protect anybody, and my husband asked how it could see any predator with those hat feathers lol.
My children are pushing teenagers so I’m not worried about them chasing chickens. I feel like they’d learn pretty quickly not to anyway.
If I get more girls and a rooster (oh it’s happening) should I stick with the same breed? My red sex links are so funny, and lovable. But I seen a SOLID black chicken (a caymen or ciman I don’t remember) it was beautiful. And one I think called a zombie chicken?? So pretty. But your boy is beautiful too, which breed is he?
Is it possible to get a chicken addiction?!

Ha..addiction or obsession!! Yep, it's a thing.
You have an awesome setup from the sounds of it. Go Crazy!!
As far as breeds it's all what YOU want for a flock and YOUR goals or addiction. Some keep mixed, some keep breed only, some do both. I do both. I have 2 flocks, 1 mixed with a Black Copper Marans rooster and mixed hens including Barred Rocks which mated the BCM roo create Marans hybrids commonly referred to as Midnight Majesty Marans, which are a sex link hybrid. Males will be barred and females will basically look like a BCM hen. (Black with minimal copper in her cape) then I also have an Easter Egger that mated with the BCM roo should hopefully produce Olive Eggers.
My other flock pictured is all Black Copper Marans. (My obsession...and someday I might make a dime or two off of them and their dark eggs hopefully). It's a work in progress but I'm having fun.
Ayem Cemani is the breed your referring to. I've been wanting a Svart Hona flock which is the cold hardy alternative to the Ayem Cemani. But alas, too many birds already with more hatching.

On that note...
Babies !! Just hatched Easter Sunday. All BCM.