Start a flock with or without a roo?

[dumb_cluck]

Probably an old question, but..

Should a roo be kept with a new flock ( all chicks) or not? I know the roo will "protect" them and mate. If I only want unfertilized eggs, then no roo, right? Or am I missing something.

What I don't want is to have to introduce a new roo to an established flock (once they grow up), 'cause I know there will be trouble.

 

[Southpaw970]

Well, you only really need a roo if you want fertile eggs.
Lots of people don't have one because they aren't allowed to keep one.

We didn't have a roo at first, but someone gave us a full grown rescue roo last summer when our girls were still pullets. We kept him in a separate cage in the run for a couple of days and let him out supervised for a little while at a time. Everyone adjusted well. But that is only one experience- from a fairly chicken newbie.

We don't free range because of too many dogs and hawks around here. So I don't have any experience with the protection factor.
(shhh...don't tell my roo that he has it easy)

I do enjoy having him. Its fun to listen to all of the sounds he makes- even the crowing.

 

[yotetrapper]

No, I dont think you need to have a roo, but, personally speaking, I feel you'd be missing out without one. Hearing a rooster crowing of an early morning to me is a big part of having chickens.

 

[RM44]

I would have a Roo in a New York minute if it was allowed in my subdivision. (I'm illegal as it is with the hens, so a Roo would be pushing my luck.) The thought of eating fertilized eggs sort of turns me off, but I think I could do it. I want a roo because they are cool, protect the flock and I really think I'd enjoy hearing him crow and watching him with the girls. When we buy our retirement house in the country, that's the first thing I'm getting!

 

[dumb_cluck]

Now you put the pressure ON!

Can a roo be "happy" around the hens, but not be intimate? (Probably not)

I guess I want my unfertile eggs and roo too! Comments?

 

[schellie69]

I have had chickens all girls for a year now, and I got a rooster from another byc member and I am so glad that I did he did fine with joining the girls he started by hanging out with the babies they are 3 months old now he is 4 months old then the bantam;s joined him and the babies and now my one Americanua has joined them and he is trying to romance the other girls he is a bantam rooster but shhh don't tell him that he thinks he is huge. but I am so glad I got a rooster it completes my flock and I think the girls enjoy his company. eating unfertilized eggs or fertilized eggs there is no taste difference and unless you look really hard you would not even know that they are fertilized I say get a rooster they are fun to watch and I love listening to his crow

 

[Ridgerunner]

The only reason you have to have a rooster is if you want fertilized eggs. If you want unfertilized eggs, you cannot have a rooster with the flock. They will lay just as many eggs without a rooster and sometimes one of the hens will take over some of the duties of a rooster, things like watching for hawks and breaking up fights between the hens.

I don't know what trouble you know you will have if you introduce a rooster later to a flock of hens. It is true that anytime you introduce a living chicken to another flock, you take a chance with diseases, but people successfully introduce new chickens all the time. They are living animals with their own personality, so anything can happen. There is usually less trouble adding a rooster to a flock of hens that adding another hen, if the rooster is mature enough to sway the hens with the force of his personality and the hens are mature enough to accept him without running away. Sometimes he has to forcibly take the dominant position away from the dominant hen, but that depends on their personalities. Some hens never accept a rooster's dominance, whether they are raised with them or are introduced later.

If you introduce an immature rooster to a flock of mature hens, there is a good chance the hens will not accept him or submit to him and will pick on him mercilessly, much worse than if you introduce a new hen. He has to be mature enough to enforce his dominance by his personality. As always, it depends on their individual personalities. Some flocks of hens will accept a young rooster and sometimes a young rooster has a strong personality. Nothing is guaranteed.

If you raise a rooster with the flock, you often have to go through that stage where the rooster and the pullets are adolescents. The rooster is full of hormones and knows what he wants to do, but maybe he has more urgency than technique. The pullets are not mature enough to quite know what is going on so they resist, even if they have started to lay. The rooster, in his urgency, gets violent and tries to force himself on the pullets. Usually they outgrow this stage, but some roosters remain brutes and some hens never learn to accept any rooster. It is a case of either the rooster not having a strong enough personality to dominate or the hen having a personality too strong to ever be dominated.

Usually introducing a mature rooster to a flock of mature hens is the easiest integration possible. The rooster establishes his dominance by mating with the hens, the hens accept him, and it is over. But it does depend on the personality and maturity of the rooster and hens.

Many people have roosters for reasons other than just fertile eggs, but getting fertile eggs is the only reason you have to have a rooster. We all have different goals for keeping chickens. My normal advice about roosters is to keep as few as possible and still meet you goals. In your case, that may easily be no roosters.

Good luck!!!!

 

[dumb_cluck]

Thanks for all the replies!

Unless I get a free "packing peanut" with my order, I think I will stick with just my 6 girls (SS by the way)

 

[McNugget]

Quote:
The only way I know of having a roo AND unfertile eggs is if you keep the roo physically seperated from the hens, ether by crate or fence. Otherwise, the roo will do what comes natural. If you have your roo physically with your hens, gathering your eggs every day and putting the immediately in the fridge will hault the growth of any embroy in any egg, it will remain microscopic. It's like having unfertile eggs. There is not taste or visual difference that I can tell.

My roo is great protection for my girls, when I thorw out feed, he calls the girls over with a soft coo and watches over them while they eat. Taking a few pecks of food, but watching most of the time. Once the hens have their fill, he will eat more, such a gentleman. He's fairly sweet, and eats out of my hands, and allows me to handel him or the hens in the house when they roost, but if I upset one of his ladies (like take eggs right out from under them).... whatch out!

 

[Ghostchick]

I enjoy our roo, it wasn't our plan to have one. He was the free exotic we got. When they are free rangeing, he seems to watch over the girls, and makes cute noises when he finds food. Why don't you want fertilized eggs? We eat ours, no difference and no chicks since we collect every day. Ours doesn't even crow alot, and he is actually about midway in the pecking order. I know some can be agressive, but you need to show him who is boss. Ours was handled alot when he was little, so he is tame.