Thinking of getting a rooster! Advice?

[Folly's place]

Another option is to buy some straight run chicks of whatever breed(s) you fancy, and raise a few cockerels, and then pick one or two to keep. Your older hens will keep the younglings in line, and it's helpful in raising good boys for the flock. And fun!
I agree that finding an adult will be very possible, and a very good choice, if you are picky and careful.
Mary

 

[Chickassan]

Reading this I still stand by my recommendation
I'm able to very much still have my girls be pets, rooster is right there too enjoying the same benefits.
If by chance I have to handle hens or chicks he watches and behaves himself.
He handles kids just fine, even better if they feed him.
I will tell you though he's basically my chicken son. I hatched him and a couple girls raised them big enough to put with my older ladies
Iv'e been around since day 1 , that really helps everything.
Iv'e never had any problems, none, nada. He did try to romance my feet when he was becoming a bonafide man but that has been the extent of his trouble.
Takes a little work to get what you want but it is enjoyable and amusing as a mofo most of the time. If it wasn't I wouldn't have done it.

This story has me cracking up! Thank you for sharing the adventures of Rocky the Rooster with me

You all, especially @Chickassan and @Mrs. K have given me a lot to think about. I'll be doing more research before making a decision.

I was, naively, thinking of him as an addition that can watch out for my girls when I'm not around but it doesn't sound like it works that way; either he is the guardian or I am. I'm not opposed to that but my girls are my pets, too, and I'm not sure I'm willing to give up that relationship yet.

Thank you all so much!

 

[Shadrach]

I'd really like to get a rooster for several reasons:

1) Chicken math!
2) Protection
3) Have increased our flock size
4) Eventually chicks!

Ideally he'd eventually be in charge of all seven. My hens are 11 months old and consist of 2 barred rocks and one Buff Orp. My pullets are about 10-12 weeks old and are 1 blue Andalusian, 1 EE, 1 RIR & 1 Ameraucana.

My biggest concern is integrating him into my layer flock of three, initially. Am I better off getting a young roo and letting them accept him before his hormones kick in? Would an older roo come to accept my pullets once I integrate them or will I need a rooster just for them?

Breed ideas? Or maybe just "No, Heather, don't do it! You're crazy!"

This article may help you decide and work out how you will handle him once you've decided.
@Mrs. K has covered a lot of the factors.
I would go for a rooster over a year old and as Mrs. K mentions, one that has been brought up in a multi generational flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[Henriettamom919]

Reading this I still stand by my recommendation
I'm able to very much still have my girls be pets, rooster is right there too enjoying the same benefits.
If by chance I have to handle hens or chicks he watches and behaves himself.
He handles kids just fine, even better if they feed him.
I will tell you though he's basically my chicken son. I hatched him and a couple girls raised them big enough to put with my older ladies
Iv'e been around since day 1 , that really helps everything.
Iv'e never had any problems, none, nada. He did try to romance my feet when he was becoming a bonafide man but that has been the extent of his trouble.
Takes a little work to get what you want but it is enjoyable and amusing as a mofo most of the time. If it wasn't I wouldn't have done it.

Well you know I *do* enjoy amusement and shenanigans!

I'm incapable of a more coherent reply right now as I've only just gotten home. My mother in law is babysitting my nephews for the weekend and allowed the five year old with the peanut allergy to pick a snack from her pantry. He ate a granola bar where the third ingredient was roasted peanuts. Yeah, I rode with him in the back of an ambulance and sat with him while they monitored his symptoms until just an hour ago when we were finally discharged

My brain is fried and just the idea of my bed is making me

I'll chicken some more tomorrow.

 

[Folly's place]

Because I'm paranoid about biosecurity, only chicks hatched here, or bought from good hatcheries, ever come here. I enjoy raising the cockerels, and selecting the keepers. You will need a plan for the other ones though. Still safer than an outside bird...
Mary

 

[Henriettamom919]

Here's another option... Since you have a mix of popular heritage type breeds, there's a pretty wide range of breeds your wanna-be rooster could be that would prove suitable. Why not check around to see who's breeding for the show pen in your area and see if they mightn't have a nice older rooster who's done his part in their breeding programme and who's due to be culled and replaced by a younger, hopefully better-quality bird? If he's been kindly kept with access to the outdoors, his owners should know exactly what he's like as a flock rooster and to handle in general, and if he's REALLY nice, they'll be saddened by the practical need to 'move him along' and will jump at the chance to rehome him to an ideal pet home. You get a beautiful, excellent representative of whatever breed he is and a proven breeder...the former owners feel good about being able to retire an old favourite to someone who'll appreciate him and let him continue doing his rooster thing. I see lots of birds like this offered sporadically throughout the year as show breeders evaluate their new stock and start choosing replacements. An 'old' breeding rooster isn't necessarily all that old, either...often no more than three or four years old. Roosters like this are usually a chinch to integrate, too. They're used to having been caged when shown and switched around between hens. Just make sure you see proof that it really is a friendly rooster and actually in charge of a flock--and something like his owner sending one of his young kids off to where the chickens are foraging to go grab 'Harvey' and bring him over for you to look at and handle for yourself would do it for me--and he should be a good one to try out. Anyway, just another possibility, with fewer risks than usual IMO when it comes to finding a good rooster to add to an established hen/pullet flock. Good luck whatever happens. I have eight roosters myself right now, which is five more than I need, but hey, why not? They're just fun birds to have around--or SHOULD be.

What a great alternative and I love the idea of 'rescuing' an otherwise healthy bird and giving his life continued purpose!

Thank you!

 

[JadeFarms]

I love my roosters! My barred rocks I’ve had have never been brave (ever)! They are scared of everything. Bantams are more alert usually, and better at chicken math. Japanese bantams are great, and gamefowl are good.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Lordy, sounds like a mess glad he's ok.
He needs a shirt like I had as a kid, it said "do not feed" no kidding.
It was only for inlaws houses, it worked got a kid laughed at a good much but it did work.

I love this! My mother in law would disown me, though. She's mortified this happened on her watch and to say she doesn't handle teasing well is an understatement.

Yeah, it was scary because I gave him his epi-pen while Face-timing with his mom (poor kids parents are in Florida) and he was improving initially. I set him up with a movie in my phone and my mother in law is useless in a crisis so I keep checking on him every 5 minutes or so. 45 minutes AFTER his epi I check in on him, he's asleep at this point, and his eyelids are swelling, hives all over his face and body! That's when I called 911. The entire time MIL is pacing saying she'll just drive him to the hospital This from the woman who does 38 mph on the freeway! Not a good plan

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Another option is to buy some straight run chicks of whatever breed(s) you fancy, and raise a few cockerels, and then pick one or two to keep. Your older hens will keep the younglings in line, and it's helpful in raising good boys for the flock. And fun!
I agree that finding an adult will be very possible, and a very good choice, if you are picky and careful.
Mary

I second Folly’s thoughts, especially about the disease risk. As someone who was burned big time by the introduction of birds with Marek’s to our flock and the subsequent loss of many beloved chickens, disease prevention and biosecurity have become foremost on my mind.

 

[CannedMonster]

Please please consider a bantam rooster!
I find them easier to handle, very alert with excellent instincts and they don’t ruin the hens feathers from breeding.

Many people are looking for half & half (half standard/half bantam) chicks too.
They like that they lay a larger egg than a bantam but eat less feed than a standard sized bird.

My best rooster was a bantam Dark Brahma.
Hector was amazingly sweet and totally unaggressive.

I currently have a bantam porcelain D’Uccle cockerel and 2 bantam Cochins. These guys are young and the hens are teaching them some manners lol.