Using a Rooster to protect my girls

[scooter147]

I rooster is helpful especially with hawks. A rooster's job, besides reproducing, is to protect the flock. When you watch a flock of hens with a rooster the hens heads are always down looking for something to eat while the rooster spends a lot of time watching.

Therefore, there hawk warning calls can give the hens a running start for cover. One thing I have noticed over the years is that some roosters "cry wolf" too often and then the hens have a tendancy to ignore him after a while. I had one rooster that would give the warning call for pigeons, crows and other such birds.

When I lived on 40 acres I had a very large flock of free range chickens with numerous roosters and the roosters especially those raised together will banned together and fend off predators such as a fox or smaller dog and go after hawks that are on the ground. I seen it many times with my large flock. It's intimidation by numbers. However, with a predator like a coyote are large dogs the roosters can only warn of the danger and like the one poster said run interference for the hens. They will actually try to lure the predator in their direction much like a bird does with the broken wing act.

 

[RBOutdoors]

Someone close by sent me a PM with available roo's. so hopefully we can get something worked out.

 

[Cetawin]

When you get a chance...check out this thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=521876


I will never be without a roo for my ladies and I pray I do not lose my boy anytime soon, I adore him.

 

[deerman]

I like the game rooster.......some real brave roosters.......i have lost a few.......but they will even give their life to protect the flock..had one attack a dog ...he lost but his flock of hens were saved.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
That is just about what happened to my free-ranging pet game. The idiot played catch me if you can and got mauled. GOnna take some time to get that bird back on track. Earlier in summer he also loitered in front of fox as chicks figured out flying onto roof or into trees was best escape route to take. He saved some chicks with that effort.

 

[centrarchid]

See post #13 of following thread linked below.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7749946#p7749946

I have seen similar of shorter duration involving red-tail hawks. Red-tail chased birds either under combine or into briar patch where chickens had advantage and repelled hawk. Red-tail is tuffer customer on ground than the Coopers of Coopers-like hawk in video.

 

[Game Bird Guy]

I see that everyone seems to have a rooster that does a good job. Could anyone post their specific rooster's breed? I am curiousto see what exactly everyone has.

 

[speckledhen]

I have a Delaware, a huge Blue Orpington and a Barred Rock. I've had other Barred Rocks and they are fabulous roosters. They've always gotten the girls to safety then stood out in the open like big barred statues, daring the hawk to try something with them.

The one Cetawin posted about in this thread is also a blue Orpington: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=521876

 

[thekid]

If you end up getting a rooster, you will need a game rooster. They are some of the best protectors. But you will probably have to puchase them in a pair (1 male to 1 female)

 

[thekid]

and game roosters make excellent dads