So Rooster for protection good?

[babyblue]

a rooster is ok protection in the fact that a good one will die atempting to save the girls. girls get a better chance to run away. saving the more valuable laying hens and the fact is there are always extra roosters to go around. I have seen a particularly good rooster womp dogs, big dogs, and kill a hawk all by himself. now a more wiley pred will someday take him out, but so far its rooster 5 preds 0.

 

[skeeter03]

dont know about other predators but my rooster attacks me or comes running into the coop if I so much as make a hen squawk while trying to get eggs. He is mean ole thing but they are usually locked in the run. Best thing he does is sound the alarm - like this am when a coyote was coming for them.

 

[Crack N' Egg]

We have one large SLW roo (Mr Roo) and he is certainly the protector of the flock. We have 14 girls, soon to be 21 girls and he does his job well. He accepts me as part of his brood, but all others beware. He is quite aggressive. When my neighbor walks over to our house, he could be 150 yards away from the Mr Roo and Mr Roo will try to seek and destroy. A good watch dog he is!

 

[speckledhen]

One of our members from Nebraska had a splash Orpington rooster who was related to my big blue Suede. Hope I tell this story right. When she wasn't home, there was a handyman working on the property. Dogs invaded the flock and her rooster engaged the dog about fifteen times before the dog left--the attack was witnessed by the handyman. The poor boy was in shock and injured and died the following day. I think she may have lost one or two hens that day. The next time the dogs returned she lost lots more, probably because the rooster was gone. It chokes me up to read stories of valiant roosters saving their flocks. They can be truly amazing. I'll see if I can find the link to the thread.

Found it! https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=262497

 

[oldchickenlady]

I bought 6 RIR's and 6 Buff O's that were supposed to all be hens. They were 3 days old when I got them. It is now very apparent that one of the RIR's is a roo. He is only about 6 weeks and hasn't started crowing yet, but I have been observing his behavior and how it differs from the girls. He is very watchful, even in the covered run. In the evening, after I have put them up for the night, he will walk around and really look around, especially up in the air, as if looking for predators or danger. The girls will be getting some last snacks or drinks, or picking their roosting spots, but he is checking things out first! I didn't want any roosters due to their crowing (my husband works nights) and I didn't think I wanted to raise any babies (that has changed...but I want the mom's to do it-not me!), but I am rethinking the rooster part. He is not very friendly, doesn't let me touch him, but he will eat out of my hand. If he doesn't flog me and doesn't keep my husband awake, I think I will definitely keep him. He is pretty and already bigger than the rest of the hens. I've been calling him Boy Biddy, but that will have to change if I keep him. Does anyone know what a RIR/Buff O cross looks like? About what age do they start crowing? I have to go look at some RIR rooster pictures.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I decided to keep a rooster for hawk protection. We lost a pullet to a hawk a month after she started laying. Hens spend most of their day with their rear in the air, so we wanted a rooster to look out for them. Moose, my welsummer rooster, is a great protector. He sees threats long before I do. I've often heard him warning the ladies, and look up, and there's a hawk. Yesterday, I was in the run with them and I heard a new alarm from him a more vocal, throaty sound. (almost growl like) I looked up and there was a hawk flying really low over the run. He was standing there making himself look as large as possible and the hens were under the coop.

 

[schellie69]

I had just hens, I live in town and I am allowed up to 15 chickens including a rooster I was having problems with pecking the feathers out of some hens, so a wonderful BYC member gave me a rooster a bantam mix. he has and is the best rooster. he is very protective over the girls he is always calling when he finds food and sounding alarms when he thinks there is danger. the pecking has stopped and the girls are getting feathers back he will break up any fight between the girls I now know I will not be without a rooster again they finish out a flock IMO.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

my rooster once killer a small dog...

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I don't consider my roo useless at all!! He may not go up against a bigger predator, but he can warn the girls to give them enough time to hide, sacrificing his own life if necessary.
I have a large clump of fig trees, all growing close together. The trunk of these trees make a perfect "cage" with a tiny opening at the front and no way to get between the trunks on the other three sides.
More than once I have seen my roo herd all the girls into the cage at the first sign of danger. All the hens protected on three sides and my roo standing guard at the open side.
Roosters have over 50 different vocalizations they can make to warn the hens of predators. There is a different vocalization for each type of predator; including whether the predator is aerial or on the ground.
As new2chooks said, hens always have their heads down eating. My roo is the one that's always looking up, looking around.
In case you can't tell I LOVE my roo.

 

[Nystra]

WOW well all these stories are much different than the first few replies on my post!!! I think I will definitely look into getting a rooster... I'll just have to find someone nearby who has a youngster that hasnt had anything bad happen or feel it necessary to challenge me... I never thought of it the way hens spend most their day with their butts in the air its so true! thank you everyone. Now I'll get my boy to read this cause he still needs some convincing. He jst thinks ALL Roos are mean nasty creatures