Two explicit rooster/hen questions

[cate1124]

I have a 4-month-old Americana roo who was supposed to be a pullet. I am considering keeping him; however, I have an alternative home ready should I decide to let him go. I do not want fertile eggs; I am not concerned about flock protection. I don't need him for any reason; I've just grown fond of him and need to balance that affection against how much his presence will stress/hassle the hens. The good of the group is my prime directive. He has started breeding the girls, but has not (yet) made their lives miserable.

Two questions that will help me make my decision:

Will a roo breed a hen who is not laying? My little flock often chooses to say in the coop during winter, when they are naturally not laying. I do not want them unduly hassled by him in a smaller space.

Will a hen who has been bred more readily go broody? My concern here is that "breaking" a broody hen is stressful on her and on me, and if being bred makes a hen more likely to want to set, that would also count against keeping him, as I don't want anyone incubating fertile eggs.

Experience-based answers to these specific questions would be much appreciated! Thank you.

 

[sourland]

Given a choice, roosters tend to gravitate towards hens that are laying; however, they will breed or attempt to breed almost anything. I believe that testosterone levels in roosters are affected by day length. Most roosters are not as sexually aggressive during periods of short day length. (The testes of roosters killed during short day length are generally smaller in size.) If he becomes a problem to your hens in the winter, you can isolate or rehome him. I do not believe that being mated or not has any impact upon a hen going broody.

 

[Mrs. K]

^^ good points.

I would add, broodyness is much more influenced by the breed, and individual birds within the breed.

Roosters when in the teen age era, 5-11 months are much more likely to breed and breed, but they do grow up, at about a year, a rooster acts like an adult. Slows down on the breeding, does more of the mature rooster work, such as looking for predators, breaking up scwabbles, finding food, and the wind dance.

I too agree, that roosters are affected by day length.

Another consideration, Flocks with a rooster have different personalities than flocks without. With a roo, the hens look to him, he looks to you. The rooster will generally move so as to stand between you and the flock. A good rooster is like a good sargent in the army, takes care of the day to day things, but does not question your authority.

A flock without a rooster, looks to you as the rooster, they will even squat for you. They are more pet like.

Mrs K

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

What's a wind dance?

 

[cate1124]

Thanks to both of you for such clear, helpful answers.

I thought that a roo might preferentially breed a laying hen, but I did not consider how daylength might affect his sex drive.

And, the flock's personality does matter to me; I have liked that my hens look to me as a kind of protector and provider. That relationship is a highly enjoyable aspect of keeping hens for me, and -- I may be presuming here -- they may, likewise, prefer a "rooster" who provides dinner without demanding sex. )

I have an opportunity to rehome my roo now at a sanctuary where I know he would have a full, free-range life with a small group of hens and a couple other roos. I may not have that again, so I need to make a decision within the next couple of weeks.

Thanks again. I welcome other responses adding to or elaborating on what the two of you have shared as I continue to consider this.

 

[donrae]

I daresay you'll never be able to tell if your eggs are fertile or not. Regardless, if you personally don't want to eat fertile eggs, you can't keep the rooster with your flock. If he's with the hens, eggs will be fertile, it's as easy as that. If you didn't want a rooster, don't want to hatch chicks, etc and have a home lined up for him, I say let him go and use that coop space for another productive hen.

 

[Mrs. K]

Wind dance = wing dance...

squawbles = scwables

I was interupted and did not proof read.... please don't tell my students!



Mrs K

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Wind dance = wing dance...

squawbles = scwables

I was interupted and did not proof read.... please don't tell my students!



Mrs K

ohhhhhhhhhhhh I'm telling. Lol It dawned on me what you ment when my rooster started doing it. I was like "oh the wind dance" lol

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There seems to be two kind of roosters in my opinion, one likes to shag and nothing else, he spends his days trying to sneak up on as many hens as he can, he's there for himself, I don't care for these roosters. The other kind will be loved and adored by the hens, he dances and asks if he can mate, he looks out for the girls, giving them bits of stuff he's found, testing any new foods, mine won't eat anything not familiar until a rooster tries it first. I really like this kind of rooster. Now you want to know what he contributes, he contributes stability, he will intervene in any squabbles, he gets them all in at night, my head rooster will not go in the shed until all the hens are in, I have seen him come out and round up stragglers. A Rooster will also help with the introduction of new hens to the flock. I think it makes a calmer flock, and when I walk into the shed my roosters scatter and my hens come forward, I am head of the flock. When there is no rooster a head hen will take over sometimes to the point of mounting other hens, but I have seen such hens as stressed and mean, and are happy when a rooster finally takes over again. My opinion is wait and see what you have, my advice, don't be his friend, you will be the competition. Chickens have a breeding season, peaks in early spring and fall to almost nothing in the winter, and a rooster will breed almost anyone available, but they seem to develop favorites most of them are lower on the pecking order, as he provides protection from other hens. I think that's all, anyways I like roosters.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh yeah broody hens, mostly it's what breed it is or whether it's been bred for broodyness, and it seems to be more prevalent when they're younger, except if the are Bantams, mine are always broody until the day they die, and maybe not during the month of December