Topic of the Week - Roosters, Yes or No?

[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****

 

[BantyChooks]

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?
Yes. I have four boys in my flock of about 35, and it wouldn't be the same without them. They all warn hens of hawks, and enable me to hatch some pretty adorable babies.

- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)
I can't really say on this one, as I've never had a small flock, but I don't think I'd keep one if you didn't have at least 6-7 hens.

- 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 had a pretty strict criteria for my rooster, and I went through 10 before I found a keeper. My requirements are:
1. NOT human aggressive.
2. They must warn the hens of danger—no wussies around here.
3. They must not be hard on hens. Me, I got lucky and found the perfect rooster, who barely breeds enough to keep eggs fertile, and doesn't play favourites.
One other thing I quite like in a rooster is a tendency to break up fights, as the other three boys that I have are young cockerels who would be a terror if not for my lovely boss rooster.
(Please note: I do not make choices before said males are one year old. You can't judge cockerels accurately)

- Beside noise, what are the possible cons of keeping a rooster and what should be kept in mind. (For new chicken owners)
There is a chance of them turning aggressive. Me, I've only ever had one turn bad, but another friend of mine has nearly 100% turn bad.... it's really a roll of the dice, or, if you will, roll of management. I don't find much cons with my lovely boys, but I suppose you might have overbreeding problems if you had a rooster who played favourites. Overall my experience with roosters has been nearly 100% positive, and my flock would not be complete without them.

 

[I Love Layers]

- Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?

Yes. My roosters protect my hens from attacks, warn them of predators and find them the best spot for looking for bugs. Also they break up any fights the hens have, they help maintain the pecking order also.
My roosters also investigate new areas and things before letting the hens go to assure safety. My roosters are often the last ones on the roost, making sure everyone is inside.

- How big should the flock be if you consider keeping one? (I.e. how many hens minimum)
If free ranging I would say around 6 hens per rooster is the least amount, I like a 1-10 ratio though. And for confined I would say at least 1-10

- 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 recently had to get rid of 3 roosters out of the 5 I had this is how I chose.
1. Most human friendly but also able to do his actual job.
2. Must be able to protect the hens no free loaders.
3. Bigger body, mainly because a little bantam isn't going to do much or scare away a hawk.
4. Smarts, I want a rooster that will actually think and pay attention.
5. Puts the hens first, my current 2 roosters don't eat until the hens are done.
6. Being able to break up fights between hens.
7. Good fertility.

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

Aggression which I've never has a problem with is what I would think the biggest problem would be



Don't get attached to the cockerels, most of the time their real personality won't come out until later.


Also I found that people who baby the roosters as chicks have found that they end up more aggressive when they are older. I rarely if ever touch my roosters and they respect me and do their job, where as my breeding roosters who are handled daily are more aggressive

 

[JarrodnJojo2016]

I keep a rooster for many reasons. my first reason is

1. doing my part to keep the breeds pure.

2. a rooster takes care of his hens , an keeps them happy.

3. you need a rooster to make chicks, the more you breed the better your flock becomes.

4. if you plan to show , your going to need a rooster or several roosters to breed that perfect show bird.

5. if you are over ran with roosters, put them in a different coop, fatten them up, on a warm sunny day, dress them out an put in the freezer .

 

[ChickenGrass]

I keep a rooster for many reasons. my first reason is

1. doing my part to keep the breeds pure.

2. a rooster takes care of his hens , an keeps them happy.

3. you need a rooster to make chicks, the more you breed the better your flock becomes.

4. if you plan to show , your going to need a rooster or several roosters to breed that perfect show bird.

5. if you are over ran with roosters, put them in a different coop, fatten them up, on a warm sunny day, dress them out an put in the freezer .

Totally agree with this.
They are all the reasons on why I have roosters

 

[Blue Godz]

I absolutely love my roos.

I have 4 and am going to go pick up another in about an hr.

I have my Maran(Vicky) and Easter Egger (Becky) separate from the flock and my Partridge Plymouth rock/Jersey Giant (Rita) and my speckled sussex (Genoveva) with the flock

In my opinion it's just more natural to have a mixed flock, thus they are more psychologically comfortable. But I am not an expert, just my opinion.

I have had several about 10 roos throughout my life. Only one (Becky) has ever been agressive.


From experience I wouldn't be so concerned with agression issues unless the particular roo is agressive. . .in other words, in my experience "aggressive" is not an adjective that I would use to describe roos in general.

Some types of chicken, male or female are more agressive than others.

Genoveva is very gentle with my baby. He'll ALWAYS come up to him and "checks him out" very calmly he'll walk over to us and kind of hangs out by him, even lays next to my baby's stroller.

I forsee him perching on my baby'shead or shoulder when he's older.

I don't agree that small children and roos don't mix.
Agressive animals of whatever type (dogs, cats, birds, marsupials) and small children don't mix
And of course, unless the child is old enough to "defend" him or her self they should not be allowed to hang out with ANY animal alone. Accidents happen, it's common sense.

 

[Bantam brother]

Roosters like even some hens,have their pros and cons.

Pros-You can raise your own chicks,they make a more beautiful showbird (in my opinion),and are excellent birds for just,well,looking at!

Cons-they can make hens very unhappy

,they can have aggressive ways,and I'm sure there are a LOT more cons that differ in every breed.For instance a silkie rooster may be your best friend,while a Rhode Island red could chase you out of the coop!!

In my opinion should you have a rooster in your flock?My personal answer is yes ,whether my reason be that A.I was born and live in the country and if you have chickens...well you have rooster!Or B.He sure does make a good Sunday dinner!!

 

[Rebatk1]

My rooster big red was a little intimidating at first .he always played the game of pecking foods minding his own business but he was plotting on you.lol all I have to do reach for the water hose and he takes off running.he is a great protector of my hens.one call from them and comes charging to the rescue.but I don't recommend 2 roosters because of the rivalry which rile up the hens. I have 2 roosters that I need to rehome soon.

 

[Beekissed]

Is a rooster beneficial to the flock?

Yes, in many ways a rooster is beneficial to a flock but it all depends on the flock. If it's a small group of hens in town or tight living quarters and there is no desire or need for fertilized eggs, then keeping a rooster has no purpose at all for the flock.

For flocks like mine, a rooster is invaluable and a necessary thing. I free range at all times, so the rooster is good at keeping the flock in flock mode...a dominant hen can't do it as well, as the hens won't naturally want to be in her vicinity as they do with a fertile male. Just like they want to roost next to him, they also want to feed and flock next to him, so this helps to keep hens from straggling off to themselves and becoming more of a target for predators. A good rooster will also work for his ladies and even for chicks if he's a good one, finding them food tidbits and calling them to it...not a necessary function but still a natural and desirable one.

I also have what I call a rolling flock or working flock, so having a breeding male in the flock is necessary for that. I raise replacement layers and extra cockerels for meat each year, so having a good breeder on hand is necessary for me to continue that. He's imperative for our food production here and for making more of his ilk so I can have a sustainable flock. That means I don't have to rely on outside sources for flock replacements.

A good rooster is also great for picking females out of the flock that are consistent nonlayers/barren or have internal problems that cannot be seen from the outside. Time and again I've seen a rooster seem to dislike a certain hen in a flock and drive her away, which is pretty unusual to see a male driving a female away from him, so I take note. Come culling time I have found that this is a hen worthy of looking over...usually she is culled and I find the reason she was being rejected by the male. I've never found him to be wrong, no matter what rooster it is. It's his job to know and drive off birds that threaten the well being of the flock, be it for illness, parasite loads, perpetual loner, barren, etc.


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

That depends much on the rooster, the hens, the breed or nature of the hens and rooster. In short, it depends. But, I err on the side of caution to cover all the bases and try to keep a flock of 10-15 hens per young, virile male. If older and less active in his breeding, he can possibly do with a smaller flock of good laying hens.


- 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 have any advice for keeping one as a pet other than don't let it imprint on you as a young chick...seems to lead to aggression issues later on for folks. Not sure why anyone would want to keep a rooster as a pet if they have hens for the same reason, but if I were going to get a rooster solely as a pet, I'd probably choose a Cochin...VERY docile, gentle breed and very pretty to boot.

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

Not exactly a con, as it's just natural behavior for a male chicken, but what should be kept in mind is that they are male chickens, with all the hormones and instincts that come along with that. No matter how much you want to think of them as a human, they will never be one nor think like one. Don't baby them or hand feed them as chicks, let them be what they are supposed to be....make a pet of your hens but let the rooster be a rooster.

If you do it all wrong and he gets confused and starts attacking you when he becomes sexually mature, don't blame it on him and say he's "aggressive or mean".....many, many
yrs of roosters and I've never had an aggressive or mean one yet and that's many breeds sampled and raised, even adopted as full grown males. How a rooster responds to you is pretty much 90% due to your own body language when you are around him and only 10% of his own hormones, instincts, breed traits, etc. That 10% can be trained and dissuaded easily~and even averted~ if you have the other 90% under control.

If you are unsure if you know how to be around a male chicken, best to not even attempt it. Visit someone who has them, even those they report are "aggressive" and see how you react to their behavior. If it's not a positive experience, I'd avoid getting one of your own, even if you think it might turn out differently for YOUR situation. Most reports of roosters attacking people are from women and children, so think on this and try to figure out just why that is and just avoid all the drama if you can. Roosters are not a good fit for everyone.

 

[reynardwaltz]

Really the only trouble with roosters is getting rid of the extra chicks. If they're raised together, you usually don't have to worry about fighting. I have two old English Game Roos and a large hybrid, and there are no issues. You just want to have him be the same breed as your hens, otherwise you'll end up with hybrid chicks.