So, if I get a roo...

[FarmerGrant011]

You should be able to get the eggs away from the hens just as easy as it is now.. All my eggs are fertile and I eat them, just make sure to get them the day they are laid.

 

[JodyJo]

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X2

 

[JodyJo]

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talk with the neighbor, some people enjoy the country sounds...offer them free eggs on occasion...that usually will take care of it...!

 

[markandcindy]

We started out with only hens and before we got a rooster we talked to our neighbors on both sides of us. It turned out that the family closer to us, about 50 feet from our back-yard coop, actually likes the sounds of a rooster crowing because they have childhood memories of visiting their grandparents. We live in a subdivision that allows chickens but honestly, the barking dogs are much more annoying. We also have several flocks of wild peacocks who live in the neighborhood (though none on our block), and they can be heard for blocks. There have been no problems with the rooster, he takes care of all 10 of his ladies and is very sweet.

It turned out that the noisiest one in the bunch is a big, loud, fussy Jersey Giant hen!

 

[runsw/scissors]

How noisy they are really depends on the roo. I have one that you rarely hear, and he's the biggest one of the bunch!

Do talk with your neighbors about getting a roo tho. I know that people aren't always comfortable speaking up so I gave each of my neighbors identical stamped addresses postcards and asked them to simply mail it to me if my roos were annoying them. I won't have any way of knowing who mailed it, but I will know that the noise is getting out of hand when I receive it. So far no postcards lol!

I would really consider getting another couple of hens too as roos can be hard on hens if there aren't enough. But, again, that depends on the roo.

Good Luck!

 

[RedDrgn]

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It not only depends on the rooster, but his location. For example, at the train station in the morning I can hear a rooster crowing loud and clear and I know he's about 5 blocks away. He's located up on top of a hill, though. I'm at the bottom, at the time. Alternatively, there's a rooster about a tenth of a mile down the road from us that we can only ever hear occasionally when the leaves are off of the trees.

 

[daver]

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Our brahma gets into crowing contests with a EE roo a half mile away. Not everyday but when conditions are right.