What might happen if we get rid of our rooster?

[gale65]

We love him-he's beautiful and not mean and we love hearing him crow. He seems to take care of the girls but they don't free range so he isn't really needed for warnings and protection and such. But he is tearing up the backs of some of the hens. Some have gotten a little bloody and scabby. I don't want to do aprons or whatever so the only option is to rehome him. But what will happen then? Will the girls be sad? Will their laying be off? Will they fight amongst themselves? Would it be better to stick it out with this flock and whenever we replace them in a couple of years just not have a roo from the start?

 

[jeepguy982001]

they be fine. The might stop laying for a brief time until they reestablish who's the top dog.

 

[DanEP]

I've had a couple of flock without roos both of them had roos till I got rid of them. The girls didn't miss them much ,after a couple of days they were calm and peaceful and doing just fine. If I didn't breed I probably wouldn't have a roo although I would miss the crowing.

 

[gale65]

We found someone who wants our roo and I'm sad. I am so unsure of this and making it a bigger deal, I'm sure, than it needs to be. It just bugs me that I'm the one that has to make this decision. I asked dh what he thought and he kept saying it was up to me. So I have to be the one to decide? Every time I hear him crow I want to keep him but when I see the girls' backs I want to give him up. I'm not even that attached to our chickens in that way. I just like seeing and hearing him. So many people here have said how lucky I am that we can have a rooster and they're jealous and here I am, giving him away. ugh. He will be going somewhere he'll be able to run around and be a rooster and not get eaten right away. At least there's that.

Anyone had to do this? Make me feel better.

 

[animaladdictions]

If you like hearing him crow and stuff and you think you might want to hatch eggs in the future, don't you have a separate pen he can stay in until the girls' backs clear up? Roosters can be hard on hens and sometimes they have "favorites" that they'll breed a bit more often than others. When my girls start looking kind of rough because of breeding, I separate the roo out and let them get their feathers back and reintroduce him once I'm satisfied they're in tip top shape. You could easily make a coral for him in the yard pretty cheaply with some chicken wire...maybe put it away from where the hens forage so he doesn't get too frustrated? He could still roost with the hens at night if you only have one closed pen for night time as they don't really breed in the dark.. just a thought. What breed is he?

 

[downsm75]

Two weeks ago, I got rid if my FAVORITE roo... Completely regret it! Wish I could go chicken nap him!!... Didn't spell that right the first time. I'd make him a bachelor pad

 

[gale65]

He's an EE. There's no way dh will build a pen for him. We would have to build something secure and with a top, because we live out in the country where there are a lot of possums and coons and coyotes and flying predators too, plus a few stray dogs and our own dog (that is confined in a fenced yard but we let her out to run around a couple times a day). I have zero desire to ever hatch eggs. The choices are to keep him and let the hens suffer or rehome him. We never planned on a rooster from the start. The kids had hoped that we would get an accidental one and that's what happened but if not for that, we would only have hens.

 

[CaptainChookman]

hi, they will ultimatly be ok. they may stop laying for a while, but they will still be the same. sometimes with no rooster hens will act like roosters and one will be dominant and i have had i hen crow before. GOOD LUCK!

 

[7L Farm]

I had a roo that I had to put down because he was mean. The girls were relieved. I got another Roo & he's great doesn't hurt the girls when mating them. I guess some are better than others. My problem is my hens mate each other & tear the feathers off of each other go figure. I can't win for loosing. Well, I'm sorry your loosing your roo. I have heard they get better at mating as time goes on.

 

[animaladdictions]

LOL! I've been at this a while and I've NEVER seen hens try and mate with each other and I've definitely NEVER seen a hen crow! That's pretty darn funny on both counts! Anyway, one thing you could do is get more hens...then he's got more to go between...but a lot of times, a rooster will have a favorite or two and breed them more often than the others. It sounds to me like you've pretty much made up your mind to sell/give him. If he's really being that much of a nuisance than I'd say it's probably for the best.