tell me about hen only flocks

[cestial225]

I recently decided to cull all my roosters. I have small children and they make me nervous. I am wondering how my flock will change without a rooster. I am afraid I am gonna start losing hens like crazy to predators.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I had just hens, and I didn't loose any. Of course, it depends where you live/ how many predators you have. There will be a shift in the pecking order as everybody decides who top hen is and who isn't, but things will calm down and be like normal.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have had many all hen flocks. I strongly recommend it for families with children. Your flock will be calmer with humans, without a rooster. Roosters often will keep between you and the hens.

A good rooster does help with day time predators. If you have a hen only flock, you should probably limit your free ranging time periods. I think all chicken owners should have a run/coop set up that one can safely lock all the birds up as sometimes you get a predator hanging around for the free meal.

Yes, I have lost more birds when I don't have a mature rooster, but risking a small child is not worth it. Time will come, the children will be bigger, and then you can try a rooster again.

Mrs K

 

[Marylandchkn]

How long does it take to get the pecking order in order? so the dominate hen isn't nipping the others? and how long do my new introductions to the flock have to undergo the pecking order?

 

[bobbi-j]

How long does it take to get the pecking order in order? so the dominate hen isn't nipping the others? and how long do my new introductions to the flock have to undergo the pecking order?

There is no cut and dried answer to this question as all flocks are different. It can take a few days or a couple of weeks. They will sort it out eventually, though. The thing to remember is that every time you add or subtract from your flock, they will have to sort out the pecking order all over again.

 

[Defjam]

I've had an all hen flock (5) for little under a year and one of the hens has established herself as the alpha female. Ironically, she was the last born and smallest, but she is certainly not afraid of letting the others know that she's the one in charge. Now that I've introduced another 10 hens (actually 9 hens and one mistake rooster) that are approaching 21 weeks old...My alpha female Louisa is still in charge. I suspect that may change, but she doesn't give slack to any of them (even the Black Australorp which is huge at 21 weeks)!

 

[RonP]

I have an all hen flock, lost my one bantam rooster to a raccoon, who is buried next to him...

Apart from being the first to go, how do your roosters protect from predators?