Someone told me today that

[wannahavehens]

My DH and I were at the Tractor Supply today and we started talking with a couple who kept chickens also. The woman said that if you keep a rooster with your hens - the egg production will be lower. This is my first time raising chicks and I've been reading reading through the forums every day since I got my girls (1 roo by mistake) in May. I haven't seen anything about this. I'm trying to decide whether we should keep Clyde. Any truth to this??

 

[whitecra]

I don't think there is any truth to it. A hen will lay so many eggs in her life with or without a roo.
Chris

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I think you ran into "wives tale" mentality... I have personally never noticed any difference with or without a rooster. Hen's are genetically pre programmed with a certain amount of eggs their bodies produce, and those eggs are going to be laid whether there is a rooster around or not. It may seem like production lowers if the birds go broody and quit laying in order to hatch out chicks....

 

[whitecra]

Quote:
Even a hen that doesn't have a roo around will go broody.
Chris

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
No truth to this.

nuff said.

 

[flakey chick]

The truth to this: Anything that stresses your birds out can decrease egg production. If your rooster is a gentleman and takes care of his ladies, then no it won't decrease egg production. If your rooster is very aggressive and overmates the hens, then it "could" decrease egg production just as any other stressful occurance.

 

[wannahavehens]

Thank you all.

 

[redoak]

My hens egg production has gone up slightly since Oliver my buff orpington rooster has started to live with the hens 24/7.

 

[rebecca10782]

I'm am sure it doesn't have any effect on them. I think what makes good egg production is a happy, healthy chicken.

 

[JennsPeeps]

It's like saying a woman will menstruate less frequently if she's living with a man.

(if only!)