Unsure about roosters. Looking for advice!

[Studabird]

He flew up to the highest point he could get in the run faced everyone and let it roll. Probably not as impressive as he hoped it was going to be but that did not stop him from trying about a half dozen more times. Thankfully we are moving to the country this weekend and I won't have to worrry about neighbors complaining

 

[emulhall]

Not trying to judge but does it really matter if they're fertilized? If you collect and refrigerate every day, you won't be able to tell the difference between fertilized eggs and store eggs

I totally understand this and have been told that before, but for some reason I can’t shake the icky feeling. I’m probably being dramatic lol. I mean the only difference between the fertilized egg and the non-fertilized egg is just a dot of blood right?

 

[emulhall]

You won't accidentally crack open an egg and get an embryo in your bowl is what I mean

Bahahah! I laughed out loud! Yes I knew what you meant!

 

[emulhall]

I am guessing you probably saw this article that's being featured right now about roosters. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ths-clearing-up-rooster-misinformation.67911/

I love my boys and my hens love them too. But there have been a few that have gotten to about 3-4 months old and turned into crazed terrors. If you don't want to eat them, I'd recommend having a plan ahead of time on where they will go if they are near killing your hens with attempting to mate or some other flaw that doesn't make them a good fit.

As for the eggs, many grocery store eggs are also fertilized. Can I ask, do you eat those and does it bother you? I know some people are bothered by the idea of what the egg "could have been", but that is true for all eggs in some way.

I will also say that mine don't like being separated from their guys. They flock to and around them and feel better knowing they are there to look out for them. There are some real benefits to having roosters in the flock, I feel, and although we didn't initially intend to keep any boys, we're in agreement at our house that we're so glad to have them. Good luck deciding what is right for you.

Thanks for your reply! And that’s a great point. I’d definitely have to have a home back-up plan, because I don’t plan on killing. And no lie, I’ve actually never thought of the grocery store eggs being fertilized! I always kind of imagined those sad battery hen kind of places with no rooster in sight. But good point. I eat those all the time.

 

[emulhall]

Your flock will get along just fine without a rooster. Unless you want to hatch your own or feel compelled to rescue a rooster, there's no need to have one. You do need a game plan for how to manage an unruly roo, because there's always that chance. For future reference though, all females are pullets until they are one year old and then they are called hens, and that is especially true if they are only six weeks old. Just so there's no confusion in the future.

Oh thanks! I never knew when pullet stops and hen begins lol. And that’s true, I mean before my hen and her old flockmate were just fine sans rooster.

 

[emulhall]

I think people severely discount the benefits of a Roo in the flock. My Roo hands-down saves my free-ranging hens daily. No question. He is always watching for hawks, dogs, people- whatever and wrangling the ladies so they don't get too far out. Roosters will also save your hens or at least give them a fighting chance as they will charge into danger (and die) to save their hens. They also act completely different than hens and are fun to watch.

Roosters also find food for the hens and call them over to have a snack. It's super nice of them because hens will just scarf up anything- but the Roos let the hens eat first.

Fertilized eggs look just like any other egg up to about 3 days IF they were under a hen. If you leave a fertilized egg in the coop for 10 days and no hen sat on it, it looks exactly like any other egg. MANY organic free-range market eggs are actually fertilized because they keep Roos in the flock.

So the downsides... Do they get unruly? Yep. Some you can tame easily- some you can't tame at all. They also crow... all... day... long. Which once you are used to it, you simply don't hear- but everyone else does lol. They also will of course jump on your hens and if you don't have many hens they will ultimately pull most of the feathers out of their backs from jumping on them. But that's just if you only have a few hens. If you have 3-6 per Roo you will likely be fine.

Anyway- they are worth the hassle in my opinion and add wonderful variety (and natural order) to your flock.

Wow thanks! And what gentlemen, letting the girls eat first lol. And that’s good to know that they’re really aren’t any different unless a hen sits on them for three days. Would it be fair to say if I collected every day, then it’s fine? Then they wouldn’t get all becoming-a-baby on me?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I totally understand this and have been told that before, but for some reason I can’t shake the icky feeling. I’m probably being dramatic lol. I mean the only difference between the fertilized egg and the non-fertilized egg is just a dot of blood right?

Dots of blood can happen in any egg regardless of it is fertilized. You just don’t see that in grocery store eggs because they aren’t considered “grade A”. They are perfectly safe to eat though!

A fertilized egg has a white “bullseye” ring around the white bit (blastodisc when unfertile, blastoderm when fertile.

Here is an image of one that’s very obvious, but often it doesn’t look so obvious.

 

[emulhall]

I think that having roosters makes the flock complete socially, and enjoy having them here. HOWEVER, we only keep the good guys, do raise chicks, and have plans for excess cockerels and any who develop into idiots. Of course most of the eggs have been fertilized, and you need to look very hard to notice the difference! Only eggs in an incubator, or under a broody hen ever develop at all.
If you don't think that you could ever eliminate a bad actor, then don't get any cockerels.
Mary

That’s a good point! “Develop into idiots” lol. Yeah, I definitely am too much of a softie to go through with that, I think. I mean I’m even being dramatic about fertilized eggs baha!

 

[emulhall]

I think these are a great list of pros and cons! I personally love my rooster but his health is deteriorating rapidly. I have two cockerals, roughly 10 weeks old, and one lil "Roo Man" started crowing. I try to handle them and be present as much as I can so hopefully they turn out to be sweeties! My old man has long since stopped mounting hens, but for the other two I do have 15 ladies for them to share.

Oh! I’m sorry about your old man’s health. That’s always sad. But the little boys sound cute! I wish you good luck with their hormones

 

[emulhall]

One of my cockerels started crowing this morning and they are 11 weeks. It was sort of adorable! I am looking forward to him and seeing what he turns out to be. I hope to enjoy my young man and thank you to everyone for contributing to the thread.

Awwww! Little guy!