Topic of the Week - Roosters, Yes or No?

[sumi]

This week I'd like to hear your thoughts on keeping roosters. Many new chicken owners, if they are allowed to keep roosters where they live, debate the pros and cons of having a male member or two in their flocks and wonder what the pros and cons of having them are. I would like to hear your thoughts on keeping roosters, specifically:

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?
- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)
- What should a flock keeper look for when adding, or keeping a rooster? (For example, when choosing which rooster to keep from a hatch, if not for breeding purposes, but as a pet)
- Besides noise, what are the possible cons of keeping a rooster, and what should be kept in mind. (For new chicken owners)


For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

 

[Ridgerunner]

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?

Why do you want a rooster? What are your goals? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is personal choice. A rooster does not increase or decrease the amount or quality of the eggs. I’m talking about a mature rooster, not an immature cockerel. They are not the same thing.

While on occasional rooster may take on a predator, mine are better known to lead the flock to safety once a danger has been identified instead of putting themselves between the flock and the predator. A good rooster, and not all roosters are good, will go check out something suspicious before sounding an alarm which makes him more of an early warning system. In the two serious dog attacks with multiple casualties I’ve experienced, the rooster was not harmed.

Often the dominant hen will take over a lot of the rooster’s flock management duties, keeping order and such as that, if there is no mature rooster in the flock. Other than breeding purposes I don’t see any real benefit to the flock by having a mature rooster. The human may have personal preferences but don’t keep one for the benefit of the hens.

- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)

I don’t believe in magic numbers here. I’ve had fewer problems with bad hen-rooster ratios than with good hen-rooster ratios. Breeders often keep one rooster with one or two hens isolated together for the entire breeding season without problems. If you read through the posts on this forum you’ll see that people with over 20 hens per rooster sometimes have barebacked problems and hens “stressed” by a rooster, while people with very few hens per rooster often have none of these problems.

When there are problems I don’t always blame the rooster. The hens have some responsibilities in these things too. Again, there is a big difference between adult hens and roosters compared to immature pullets and cockerels. I believe most of the problems reported on this forum are about cockerels and pullets, not mature chickens.

- What should a flock keeper look for when adding, or keeping a rooster? (For example, when choosing which rooster to keep from a hatch, if not for breeding purposes, but as a pet)

I don’t keep them for pets so I won’t comment. I have no experience with this.


- Beside noise, what are the possible cons of keeping a rooster and what should be kept in mind. (For new chicken owners)

From hatch, male chicks are often more curious and have more of a personality than the females. It’s very easy to really fall in love with a cockerel because they have more of a personality. They are normally prettier too. That can make it hard to get rid of one later if you need to.

Immature cockerels that have hit puberty can have hormones running wild with no self-control. Their hormones are telling them to dominate all the other chickens, which they do by fighting other males and mating the females. Having immature cockerels in the flock can be very hard for some people to watch. It’s a normal part of chicken behavior but it looks and often is pretty violent. Watching that can really distress some people. It’s a lot worse when room is tight. The more room you can give them the better, but it is still hard for some people to watch. It’s normally worse if the females are immature pullets. They aren’t mature enough to know how to play their part in flock dynamics either.

Some males, cockerels as well as adult roosters, can be human aggressive. Not all are, people have been free ranging flocks with roosters on small farms with small children for thousands of years. But it can certainly happen. Roosters are armed with beaks that can cut flesh and claws and spurs that can also cut and draw blood. If they can reach them, like they can with a small child, they have an instinct to go for the head, including the eyes. That’s where they can do a lot of damage so it is a good fighting tactic. I grew up on one of those farms and never had one of those problems, but it can happen. How much room you have and how close proximity the flock spends with humans can be a big factor.

Roosters don’t lay eggs but they eat. Do you want to spend money feeding a non-productive chicken?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Roosters are fun to keep,but can be a challenge,especially aggressive ones or ones who cannot gt along with one another.Ever since I first started chickens,I had a rooster.Supposedly protection but some are actually quite terrible at it.

Roosters can be good use to a flock,that is if he is a good rooster.A good rooster to me is a rooster who will fight a predator if it is seriously needed (Not attack me or see me as a threat when I have a hen.)My first roo was I think a Buff Orpington. He was a terrible rooster,quite dumb too, although me and him would have crowing competitions.On the other hand,the hens liked him (Our first batch took any and every rooster they could get),but that is the only bright side to that guy.Than Joe the 2nd,he attacked quite often almost pecking my eye out actually.

I have actually only ever had one rooster ever wanting to actually hurt me and I never did anything about it,eventually we gave him away.Not saying that is what anyone else should do,you should defiantly take action.I turn around flap my arms,even at times kick him if he is beginning to hurt me.

I have also kept young roosters.From the start i let them know not to cross me,friends stays friends.If they are in a battle position I chase them or I even take it to the water hose.

There are also other things you should provide,like a bachelor pad.These come in handy when you have too many roosters who wanna keep,or cannot get rid of,also helps when two roo's are trying to kill another.
Bachelor Pad is just a rooster pen,you could use it for breeding or broody hens as well.

Also you should always have at least a good ratio to rooster going on.Lots of people say 10 hens for every roo,that is if you have roosters who do more breeding than the average.I had about 22 hens to one roo and he had them bare back or very raggedy
Some roosters can manage only a few hens while some can cover nearly 30 on their very own..

You should also consider how many roosters you keep,too many can cause lots of tussling or killing.I like to keep two so far,and they both have their place,so far.The younger subordinate cockerel trails behind the flock when free ranging,while the Alpha may mate and go where ever he feels,usually making the cockerel having to make transitions to other spots and sometimes he runs him completely off,just how it goes sometimes

Mine are pets,but have lots of respect for me.One is a Black Sex-link cockerel and his dad is a New Hampshire red.

There are cons.Some roosters no matter if the ratio of hens is high,they still manage to stress your hens a ton.Some crows are crazy loud,and some literally never stop crowing,some crows are ugly.Some roosters can turn out aggressive and be very dangerous.

 

[azygous]

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?

Yes, a rooster certainly adds balance and entertainment value. While a young cockerel can be extremely annoying due to wild hormones out of his control, over time, he can grow into his role. Besides fertilizing eggs, he can act as flock leader, keeping order in the flock as well as keeping watch and alerting to danger. How well he fulfills this role depends on breed and temperament. But hens really do not need a rooster to be content and lay eggs.

- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)

This is pretty important. Having a rooster in a flock of less than ten hens may result in over-mating, depending on temperament and age. It will be an individual judgement as to whether a rooster will be a problem when he has only a hand-full of hens. Many times, it won't be a problem. But if the hens start looking worn out, back feathers becoming worn and frayed, you know he needs more hens so he can spread the joy around a bit more evenly.

- What should a flock keeper look for when adding, or keeping a rooster? (For example, when choosing which rooster to keep from a hatch, if not for breeding purposes, but as a pet)

Recently, I was faced with this issue. I had two cockerels emerge out of a couple batches of mail order chicks that were supposed to be all pullets. One was a Cuckoo Marans and the other was a Cream Legbar. They were as different in temperament and behavior as night and day.

When the hormones began to flow around age six months, the Marans was a little jet engine. He was a crazed machine when it came to trying to mate the hens. He would select his "target" and launch. Like a torpedo he flung himself at the hen, landing on her back like a falling pallet of bricks. There was a lot of screeching involved, and some of it was from the chickens. He was also very touchy when I was doing anything in his immediate vicinity. He lunged and snapped at my hand if I moved it near him.

The Legbar was the opposite. He began to anticipate my movements and he removed himself from my path. When he felt the urge to mate, he would slide himself smoothly onto the hen, and then smoothly slide back off. He was so unobtrusive, I was barely aware he was doing anything.

I chose the Legbar to keep and re-homed the Marans. It was a good choice. He has become a wonderful flock protector and leader and never once has he been aggressive towards me.

- Beside noise, what are the possible cons of keeping a rooster and what should be kept in mind. (For new chicken owners)

I've already touched on a few of the issues a flock owner faces if they choose to keep a rooster. Over-mating can be a serious problem. Noise is another con. If there are small children around, there's a risk a rooster might feel threatened by them since they are small, and he can hurt them seriously if he attacks. Aggressive roosters can send an adult to the ER, and can be a real, if not impossible, challenge to discipline out of this bad behavior, requiring a lot of time and commitment.

On the other hand, a rooster is one of the most entertaining facets of chicken keeping. After a cockerel grows into his role after a couple of years, the girls will look up to him and respond to his attempts to keep the peace and to alert for danger. A rooster's antics are almost always a source of a lot of mirth, always making you smile, even if you're down. And they are terrific alarm clocks.

 

[QueenMisha]

I decided to keep one rooster from my young ones, along with 5 hens.  Roo Roo, the rooster, was very sweet for about 5 months. Now he's the guard of the hens.  He will still allow me to pick him up on occasion and rub his chest, but he's quick to attack when i walk into the coop to feed or water, or if I walk in his direction almost any other time. I am the only one who braves the coop because of Roo Roo.  He has always been the friendliest of all of the chickens, so I hate to get rid of him, but lately he's been causing me some pain...coming at me with his spurs and attacking me with his beak. 

Ditch him. It's a ton of work to "rehabilitate" aggressive cockerels and you can never really trust them again. There are (quite literally) thousands of roosters out there seeking homes, many of them completely non-aggressive and even high quality specimens of rare breeds. Aggressive birds take all the enjoyment out of poultry keeping.

 

[Wyatt0224]

To me a rooster is beneficial to my flock. I free range a lot and there lots of predators since I live in a rural area. I keep two actually because of the predator abundance. My hens will not walk very far while free ranging if one of the roosters isn't with them. My roosters are always looking for predators or findings treats for their hens. The hens will often follow them around just waiting for treats.

The best minimum ratio is probably 4-5 hens for a rooster. If you keep two or more roosters it's probably best to have 8-10 hens for each rooster.

For me the things to look for is his attitude towards people. I had two Silkies roosters and 10 weeks old they were polar opposites. One would always fly up onto my arm and let me pet him while the other would dance at me and go out of his way to peck me. When you have chicks most of the time a rooster will start to develop a con earlier then hens. If possible try and hold him more and give him more attention so he gets to learn that you aren't a threat. However, once he hits his hormonal time, give him some space and its best not to try and pet him anymore.

The only possible con for having a rooster other then noise to me is the fact he might turn aggressive. Some people might have a really sweet rooster when he's really young and then one day he might have an attitude switch and try and flog you.

 

[speckledhen]

This week I'd like to hear you all thoughts on keeping roosters. Many new chicken owners, if they are allowed to keep roosters where they live, debate the pros and cons of having a male member or two in their flocks and wonder what the pros and cons of having them are. I would like to hear your thoughts on keeping roosters, specifically:

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?

Of course. I have had chickens with roosters free ranging for the past 11 years. I have not lost even one chicken to a predator and I do credit my roosters, plus some decent cover. I've seen foxes stalking my flock, hawks dive on them, dogs breach my perimeter, etc. BUT, I will NEVER keep a large fowl rooster that is human-aggressive, so not just any rooster will do! We keep only the most intelligent ones and in my experience, the smartest ones are the ones who realize who feeds and waters and who is truly in charge over all of them.

The best roosters stop hen-fights, keep other males from hurting their hens, and watch the skies and surroundings while the hens are head-down stuffing their faces. They have different styles-some will go right at a predator, some will try to get the most hens to safety first before deciding to face the threat-but they all have the internal directive to stand, fight and protect/defend (some stronger than others in that regard).

Naturally, a self-sustaining flock MUST have roosters in it. I do not buy started birds nor hatchery chicks so I must hatch eggs, either from shipped eggs from breeders when I need new blood, or my own stock.


- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)

I prefer to have 8-10 hens for one rooster, generally, though my Blue Orpington never had more than 5 and usually 3. He was not a motivated breeder and you may find that with a lot of Orpingtons. My Delaware rooster, Isaac, however, needed a larger number of hens. In his prime, he kept 25 hens all fertile at once and always had more than the Orpington, even at his death at 6 years 7 mos old, Isaac, was still breeding the girls, even after losing two toe ends due to frostbite caused by bad circulation/arthritis and some of his balance. He died suddenly, still chasing and watching out for his hens. So, it varies with the rooster's "rowdiness".

- What should a flock keeper look for when adding, or keeping a rooster? (For example, when choosing which rooster to keep from a hatch, if not for breeding purposes, but as a pet)

I'd say first, get a rooster, or hatch eggs, from a line bred for non-aggression toward humans. An easygoing rooster is a true joy to be around. I never have to watch my back in the pen with Atlas, nor did I with his father or grandfather and now, his son, Apollo. Temperament is heritable, for the most part. Has nothing to do with being "hand-raised" or not. To me, temperament is the most important thing, period.


- Beside noise, what are the possible cons of keeping a rooster and what should be kept in mind. (For new chicken owners)

Some say the crowing is a downside, but me, I love it, so I can't speak to that. It's a natural sound, preferable to engines, horns, weedwhackers and loud music blaring. I like the noise, personally. I sleep with my windows cracked, even in winter, so I can hear all the roosters in my general area crowing around me, plus my own. To me, it's just a natural sound, very satisfying to hear. Beats dogs barking all night long-roosters do not crow all night like dogs may bark. And if they crow at 2 a.m., there is a reason, probably a predator outside or lights they see in their window-could be someone lurking on your property with a flashlight so I consider a middle-of-the-night crowing rooster to be an alarm of sorts.

One downside, even with a friendly rooster, would be hens who might be injured by his toenails during mating if you are not diligent to keep them blunted. Or the hens may not want to come outside in the morning when he's jumping every hen in sight. But, that's the chicken world for you, a bit more savage than folks are really used to seeing.

Another is that he will most likely not get along with other roosters if you have them and you'll have to have different pens for them.

If you don't choose your male from a good, non-human-aggressive line, of course, being attacked is a downside, but that is not a concern in our barnyard with my own line of Barred Rock males. When I get hatching eggs from other breeds or BR lines, then I have to wait to see if aggression will be an issue. Flogging roosters DO NOT STAY.


***Adding, the most heroic, robo-rooster I've ever known belongs to my best friend in KY. If you read this, you'll be amazed. Now, he's one in a million, still with us at about 6 1/2 years old, miraculously, but this will have you in tears. Do not expect this of every rooster, but we can hope!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/521876/why-have-a-rooster-new-pg-10-video-pg-13


***And, another thing, keep small children away from ALL roosters! Even the sweetest rooster on the planet, and I've had them all my chicken-keeping career, reacts differently to little kids than adults! It's not his fault if your toddler is flogged, it's YOURS. Small kids are loud and make jerky movements that make any rooster nervous and are about the same height as some larger roosters, just the right height for him to take out your child's eye. NEVER expect him to act like some happy-go-lucky family Labrador Retriever. It's not right and expects way too much of any rooster****

 

[Mrs. K]

I believe chicken keeping is a hobby one should work into, and if asked I do not recommend a rooster to first time chicken keepers. Keep a hen only flock for a year, get some experience, pray for a broody hen, then raise up chicks under her... one of those will be a rooster. The older birds will school him into proper chicken behavior.

Too often, roosters raised with just flock mates become aggressive. They are bigger than the pullets, come into sexual maturity earlier, and because there is not older birds to school them, they often become very aggressive. They tend to be darling as chicks and then become a nightmare.

Yes, I love having a rooster, have had several over the years. I have had good results in reducing day time predation with a year old mature rooster in the flock. However, if you are going to try a rooster, imo you need a sharp knife, cause sometimes roosters do not work out.

Say no to a rooster if:

• It is your first year
• If you have children under the age of 4
• Do not think you can keep every rooster that you hatch or buy as chicks
• I agree with the above post, 1 too for 5-6 hens, 2 rooster for 25-36 hens.

Work into the hobby. There are many aspects to this hobby, raising chicks, getting eggs, having a rooster, harvesting meat, multi-generational flocks. Work into the hobby.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?

He can be. As others have mentioned, they are likely to be alert, watch and warn for predators, help keep peace among the hens, and, of course, if you plan on raising your own chicks are kind of necessary.

- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)

I can't really answer that. I agree with others who have said that there is no "magic number" for an ideal ratio.

- What should a flock keeper look for when adding, or keeping a rooster? (For example, when choosing which rooster to keep from a hatch, if not for breeding purposes, but as a pet)

It depends on one's goals. Do you want to hatch out chickens that are geared more toward laying or meat? Dual purpose? Just to have a rooster around? Pay attention to the breed you are adding or keeping. Get the rooster that best meets your needs, paying attention to the personality of the bird, also. I would not keep a rooster that is human aggressive or overly rough with my hens. Some of them are pretty good from the start, some you will have to watch until they outgrow the hormonal cockerel stage.

- Beside noise, what are the possible cons of keeping a rooster and what should be kept in mind. (For new chicken owners)

The only con I can think of is an inexperienced chicken owner getting a human aggressive rooster. It's not always easy to recognize the beginning signs of aggression, so it can't be nipped in the bud right away.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Many posts have summed up the beauty of a rooster, so I won't reiterate what's already been said.

I will just add:

1. I strongly agree that you should take your time to choose your rooster, and first time flock owners generally should wait. Establish your flock purpose first, then decide if a rooster is needed. Small flocks in backyards for egg laying or pet purposes generally do not need a rooster especially if your children like to pet their chickens.

2. Roosters allow you to make your own genetic plans for your flock rather than relying on the hatcheries or what breeders are in your area. (Shipped eggs can be a disaster for the money). This works even if you are not raising a particular breed but just want a sustainable flock that produces the eggs, egg color, and meat you desire.

3. Raising your own chicks also avoids the disease you can bring in with purchased birds and prevents the loss from stress and integration problems with feed store chicks. My home bred, broody raised, chicks grow fast and hardy on my property with little work on my part.

4. You can tell a rooster's nature as a chick. Never accept a snotty chick. He will grow into a worse rooster. Always wait until teenage before you commit to a rooster to see if he will remain good nature. And I do handle my chosen bird so that he knows who is in control and so he doesn't fear me. I do not however treat him like a pet.

5. No one has mentioned feed control. When you have a rooster it is best to keep the flock on All Flock so your boy doesn't get the level of calcium in the layer feed which will take its toll over time. So there is that hassle. Having to keep your layers on All Flock. I find my layers do best and have the best quality eggs on layer. While I place oyster shell and calcite grit freely, the egg quality is still better on layer. If you don't sell eggs, that won't matter, but if you do sell eggs, often the grit or shell leaves some traces in the egg appearance.

Good roosters are golden. It is a combination of really good genes, good husbandry, and in my experience, older hens (broodies) schooling the younger boys.

A good daddy rooster is awesome to watch. He protects mommas and babies from predators and from nosy flockmates. He integrates babes into the flock. He keeps squabbles down in a gentle way. Leads his hens to safety at the first sign of trouble.

Bad roosters are tyrants that harass and use their flock. There is a big difference. Know it and keep only those that are worthy of your flock.

LofMc

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