Thinking about getting a rooster... Help me decide.

[chickenpiedpiper]

I agree with everything stated above. I think Roosters are great! We have a flock of 22, and 4 are roosters, and they all free range together. I wouldnt be picky about breed, go for temperment foremost. There is absolutely no reason to tolerate an aggressive roo, when there are so many super sweet ones out there looking for homes. Find one you like, and enjoy him.

Yes, eventually, he will do what roos do, and its not fun to watch

But our lead Roo, Chester does his rounds in the morning, and then seems to settle down until afternoon rounds. He has a good routine, and everybody is content.

If you plan to free range, you really NEED a good roo. We hadnt intended on getting one, in fact swore up and down we didnt want one, well, Chester has one confirmed Hawk kill, and three defenses that I know of, two with assists from the younger roos. I had no idea there was such a population of hawks about, and I am an avid bird watcher! Sheesh!

There is no reason not to, if you dont have neighbors who might get annoyed at the noise. You will get used to it very quickly, and even come to love it! (if he has a pretty crow that is!)

Good Luck!!

 

[gritsar]

Ummm I wouldn't worry about getting a roo just yet, because it looks like you might possibly already have one. I looking at the black chick in the second pic, that's looking at the camera. Just a chance now you understand

 

[Lee]

I agree.....wait a little longer to see how they sex out. Won't be long.

 

[fizzy]

If you want your hens to have bald heads & backs, and if you want to be woken up VERY EARLY (as in still dark) 7 days a week, and if you want to have to enter the chicken yard with a baseball bat for protection, and if you want to use so many bandages you are thinking about buying stock in Johnson & Johnson, then YEAH! Get a rooster! That was sort of tongue-in-cheek....but I've had two very bad experiences with roosters, including an attack on ME that was serious and traumatizing...so I keep my flock "girls only". It's a much calmer homestead.
Wendy

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I'm sorry you've had bad experiences, but that's not the norm. As chickenpiedpiper stated, roosters can prove invaluable when you free-range. None of my hens are bare (with not one, but two roos!). I don't even notice their crowing anymore and we're day sleepers. Sometimes roosters get out of hand and either have to be retrained if possible or mated with some dumplings. As long as I own chickens I will always have at least one rooster.

 

[speckledhen]

I have four mature roosters who would never hurt me. They allow me to pick them up, see to their wounds, etc. Three are Barred Plymouth Rocks, all brothers, and one is my big Blue Orpington, Suede. I've had one Ameraucana rooster who bit me a couple of times and just had a cockerel I was planning to breed earn his ticket to the crock pot today. No time for the bad boys here! I want mine to be non-aggressive to humans and my boys are, but they would give their lives for the girls without hesitation. There are plenty of great roosters. I love mine. They've saved my girls from hawk attack several times. Barred Rocks are my preferred breed.

Blood in an egg is caused by a burst blood vessel and has nothing to do with fertilization.

 

[Mahonri]

We got an accidental Delaware roo in our Rainbow Layer's order from McMurray.

He drove my wife insane with the crowing.... I don't care... I still wish we wouldn't have re-homed him.

But, I will soon put some of palofino's Ameraucana eggs under our broody partridge rock and hopefully by January 8th I will have some little chicks and perhaps one of them will be a beautiful roo like his daddy.... and I hope it's a BlueWheaton!

 

[herechickchick]

I love my rooster. I say get one. Right now I am in LOVE with the Speckled Sussex roosters. I am going to hatch some in the spring.

Here is my post on Keeping a Rooster in the City

Good Luck

 

[chookchick]

Roosters are great! They can have so much personality. I loved my roo and would have kept him if it wasn't a problem with my hubby and one neighbor. I vote that you wait and get a roo when your hens are more mature, say about 6 months, then get an older roo who has a proven personality, not too aggressive with hens or people. Breed in secondary to personality IMHO.

 

[winekntrychicks]

Every thing that was said in favor of a roo, I agree with too. I have two. Both are bantams with my standard girls. I have a Seabrite Roo and a Black Silkie Roo. I love them both. The Silkie has a beautiful crow. If you don't plan to free range I say get a bantam breed like a Silkie, They are soooo cool. And they are so small that when they do the rooster thing they don't beat the girls up so much. My girls still have all of their neck and saddle feathers.