- Aug 5, 2012
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This thread is for the discussion of owning roosters, keeping them in your flock effectively, and the sharing of tips and tricks to have a successful flock with a rooster in it.
This is my rooster, Colonel Brandon
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He is an nine-month old highline brown, I think, I got him from a free-range organic egg farm that has no need for the roosters that end up among their laying hens.
I got him mainly due to predator issues in the area. It felt like there was always some stray dog, fox, or bear on our property taking one or another of the hens. Not to mention that the hens always free-ranged in pairs or alone, causing them to be less safe. Enter Colonel Brandon. I can safely say the chickens have been eating a lot less food, since they have been free-ranging with Colonel, who finds them food. They now free-range mostly as a group or in two big groups. However, the hens have grown more distant from me and it is harder to round them back up into the coop. We have yet to have predators, but our problems typically start in the fall. But it is nice to have some peace of mind and not have to supervise free-ranging or be watching the sky for hawks.
Some of the hens have rather beat-up saddle feathers now, however, with five laying hens and two retired, older hens, over-mating is not an issue. Fertile eggs may come in handy in the future--I am just waiting for a broody, hopefully next spring. Colonel has never attacked anything, and he crows several times in the morning, and then throughout the day--about three times every two hours. None of the neighbors care--they have roosters themselves. Overall, he is a great rooster! Can anyone tell me if it is likely he will protect his hens in the event of a predator attack?
This is my rooster, Colonel Brandon
He is an nine-month old highline brown, I think, I got him from a free-range organic egg farm that has no need for the roosters that end up among their laying hens.
I got him mainly due to predator issues in the area. It felt like there was always some stray dog, fox, or bear on our property taking one or another of the hens. Not to mention that the hens always free-ranged in pairs or alone, causing them to be less safe. Enter Colonel Brandon. I can safely say the chickens have been eating a lot less food, since they have been free-ranging with Colonel, who finds them food. They now free-range mostly as a group or in two big groups. However, the hens have grown more distant from me and it is harder to round them back up into the coop. We have yet to have predators, but our problems typically start in the fall. But it is nice to have some peace of mind and not have to supervise free-ranging or be watching the sky for hawks.
Some of the hens have rather beat-up saddle feathers now, however, with five laying hens and two retired, older hens, over-mating is not an issue. Fertile eggs may come in handy in the future--I am just waiting for a broody, hopefully next spring. Colonel has never attacked anything, and he crows several times in the morning, and then throughout the day--about three times every two hours. None of the neighbors care--they have roosters themselves. Overall, he is a great rooster! Can anyone tell me if it is likely he will protect his hens in the event of a predator attack?
