To Roo or Not to Roo?

[cdampier]

So ... I've got a question for all you veteran chicken folks out there ... The long and short of it is this: Do I need to keep a rooster if I want to free range hens who were not raised free range (for the first year of their life)?

More details:
I picked up 6 chicks in April and all of them turned out to be roosters. They are big boys ~ probably 5 to 8 pounds each. Unfortunately, they are aggressive ~ especially two alpha males, who are terrorizing the others and myself, when the mood strikes ~ and I cannot have that, so they all will be departing to the soup pot in the sky on Tuesday. (So sad for me! Just sucks that you get attached before you know if they are a pullet or cockerel!)

I want eggs, so I picked up two, 1-year old ISA Brown Pullets on Thursday. The girls are little; maybe 1 to 3 pounds each. They are adjusting to life here ~ I have kept them separated from the roos (although, watching them, they do not back down from the big boys who come calling at the side of the coop and have even nabbed a few tail feathers when they could). They were not free ranged at their original home, so confinement is not an issue for them.

I had always planned on free-ranging my chickens, which is why I started with chicks, so they could be raised that way. Since that didn't quite work out, I'm wondering what you guys would do. Would you keep one of the less aggressive roosters (I have my eye on one that has never crowed and never squared up with me, so I think he could end up being not too much of a jerk) and let the hens loose? Or, would you get rid of all of the roosters and just keep the hens as is?

Any advice, sharing of experience, gut-reactions will be much appreciated!

 

[SueT]

Why not give the nicest rooster a chance?

 

[bobbi-j]

You could give it a try, but have an exit plan for him if it doesn't work out well. Sometimes a lower in the pecking order cockerel will change once the others are gone. You don't need a rooster to free range. Often, he's just a speed bump for whatever is going to eat them anyway.

 

[SueT]

It's a bumpy road integrating a cockerel w older hens. But they will help teach him manners. As for you, keep a long stick in hand and do not allow him into your space. Ever. Walk toward him and make him move.
Free ranging can be done without a rooster, of course. But w only 2 chickens, I would worry about predators decimating my flock. Having a 3rd, and it being a rooster, might be just the answer. He'd be the one to test the waters for danger, as he would be likely to defend the girls. I lost a rooster and a hen together to coyotes. But I had 9 chickens, and have since raised replacements. They are limited in their free range time now. And there's a new young rooster. I like having him on watch. He really does keep an eye out, while the hens are always eating.
Anyway, good luck, let us know how it goes....

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

Every rooster should get given a chance, And no rooster should be killed for aggresion. Every rooster is tamable, Just some are more difficult than others. Here are some guides for aggresive roosters if you plan to keep some:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-definite-guide-to-roosters.49193/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-ever-misunderstood-rooster.72932/

 

[nova022]

It is a toss up. I have always had a rooster with my flock, but even so I have hens who will go off by themselves, hatch their eggs and raise the chicks away from the main flock. They do fine on their own.

I have a rooster that I absolutely love and who stood up to a coyote to protect his flock. He has a life time home on our farm. I also had a very beautiful rooster who attacked anyone who came near and sometimes went out of his way to attack people just because he could. I gave him a few chances because I wanted to pass his genetics to my flock, but he is in the crockpot as we speak.

I love having a well mannered rooster with my flock because he does alert them to danger, calls them to eat when he finds food and rounds them up for the night and breaks up hen fights. He won't go in until the last girl is there. I also like having fertile eggs so I don't have to buy hatching eggs or chicks each year. I also love hearing them crow. It is just a sound that should be heard around a farm..lol The thing I don't like is the bare backs and heads of the hens from him mating them so often and of course having one become aggressive toward people.

Because I hatch my own eggs, I get a large number of roosters each year. I keep a few, rehome a few and send the mean ones to freezer camp. Roosters are not for everyone, but they are beautiful and serve a purpose within the flock.

 

[Folly's place]

Back to the OP's question! It's not a bad idea to try keeping the mildest cockerel, and see how things develop. Your new hens may teach him some manners, which is a good thing, although having more hens will be better for everyone.
Read beekissed's article about managing roosters, it's very helpful! Some of us have had a lot more experience with cockerels and cock birds, over many years. I love having roosters in my flock, and they are all polite boys. The only kind to keep!
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

I too think where you are is a big part of this. I live on the wild prairies of SD. A long ways from town or neighbors. Rooster are a big protection for my hens. My day time predation drops dramatically with a good rooster.

However, not all of them are good roosters. To be a good rooster, there is rather a list of characteristics that you need.

• not mean to people
• not mean to hens
• he should be there first one to see you when you come to the coop
• he should tidbit his girls
• he should settle squabbles
• he should keep them rounded up, get them to roost
• he should escort them to lay
• he should be tolerant of chicks, even when they drive him nuts
• he should not crow all the time

I have only had two that had most of the these characteristics. However, if they are paying attention most of the time they will help with predation if you live in the wilds of SD.

If you live in town, your biggest predators are much more apt to be the neighbors or your own dog, not going to do much against them.

If this is your first time with chickens, I would recommend just hens.

Mrs k

 

[Shadrach]

So ... I've got a question for all you veteran chicken folks out there ... The long and short of it is this: Do I need to keep a rooster if I want to free range hens who were not raised free range (for the first year of their life)?

More details:
I picked up 6 chicks in April and all of them turned out to be roosters. They are big boys ~ probably 5 to 8 pounds each. Unfortunately, they are aggressive ~ especially two alpha males, who are terrorizing the others and myself, when the mood strikes ~ and I cannot have that, so they all will be departing to the soup pot in the sky on Tuesday. (So sad for me! Just sucks that you get attached before you know if they are a pullet or cockerel!)

I want eggs, so I picked up two, 1-year old ISA Brown Pullets on Thursday. The girls are little; maybe 1 to 3 pounds each. They are adjusting to life here ~ I have kept them separated from the roos (although, watching them, they do not back down from the big boys who come calling at the side of the coop and have even nabbed a few tail feathers when they could). They were not free ranged at their original home, so confinement is not an issue for them.

I had always planned on free-ranging my chickens, which is why I started with chicks, so they could be raised that way. Since that didn't quite work out, I'm wondering what you guys would do. Would you keep one of the less aggressive roosters (I have my eye on one that has never crowed and never squared up with me, so I think he could end up being not too much of a jerk) and let the hens loose? Or, would you get rid of all of the roosters and just keep the hens as is?

Any advice, sharing of experience, gut-reactions will be much appreciated!

No you don't need a rooster to free range hens.
Someone in this thread described them as a speed bump, while that's a bit unkind there is an element of truth in it.
The roosters I've had here (I've had quite a few) do save some of the hens from some of the predators. The downside is they die doing it.
What people don't often take into account is the deterrent effect of a rooster.
Most of the hens that get killed here get killed going to and from egg laying, not when they are in the group. A good rooster does reduce the risk in this case.
If you decide you do want to keep one rooster, don't pick the sweet cuddly one, pick the bad mother and let him do his job.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You've got a lot of comments already. I have a question.

Where are you free ranging?

Also, how many hens altogether? Just the 2?

As you've read, roosters can be a good thing or a bad thing in a flock. My personal opinion is that it isn't good or bad rooster, it is right rooster for right flock.

Most backyard owners, especially with children, are not prepared to deal with an aggressive rooster. Most farm situations can tolerate a certain amount of guff from a rooster, however, human aggression is not necessary for a rooster to protect the flock. Human aggression is never something to breed forward. It may be fine in the jungle, but it is not in a domesticated bird.

However, an all hen flock can free range safely....but I would definitely have more than 2 chickens if you have any kind of property other than a little back yard plot.

Also what kind of predators are you worried about? Neighbor dogs? Coyotes? Raccoons? Hawks?

It has been my experience that roosters, even the best, are pretty worthless for anything large. They are excellent for hawks and such.

Neighbor dogs kill indiscriminately with or without roosters.

So where are you free ranging?

LofMc