When to get a rooster?

[Gene Neill]

We're currently integrating four younger chicks (including a roo) into a flock of nine older pullets. It's fascinating to watch. The little roo has been running his "flock" effectively; the three little pullets were devoted to him right from the start. We have the two flocks in separate coops, but we let the little ones out to free range alongside the bigger ones in the late afternoon.

We had to be super careful at first because the size difference was huge. But with each passing day, they get closer in size, and the little ones know it. Tonight the little roo instigated a tussle with what I think is our alpha pullet! He held his own for a few seconds, while I cheered for him. LOL

Our hope and expectation is that he will soon be big enough to whoop up on the "big" girls, thereby uniting the flock. "One roo to rule them all."

 

[Sonya9]

As others have mentioned 3 hens is probably not enough for one standard rooster. A large rooster with too few hens means the girls are bred relentlessly (the rooster stands on the hens back while breeding) and they end up with bare/raw backs which isn't good at all.

One option for a small flock is to get a bantam rooster as they typically require fewer hens and some don't rape the hens at all. Plus their smaller size means they aren't so rough on them.

Whatever you do plan carefully as a rooster is a long term decision and changing your mind after you get one usually means that's the end for Mr. Rooster or you build a separate rooster pen and keep them as pets.

 

[NatJ]

I’d love to have a rooster in my flock since I live more in the country and there are quite a few predators.

A good safe coop & run is much more protective than any rooster.
Any predator that could kill a hen, could also kill a rooster.
Some roosters will notice predators and warn the hens to run to safety--but some might notice the predator and run anyway, and some roosters will not give a warning.
Some roosters do chase off some predators, and some roosters get killed trying.

My personal advice would be to not get any rooster unless you are able (mentally and physically) to butcher chickens. Then get several male chicks, raise them, and plan to eat all but one. Which ones do you eat? The ones that do not act nice to you, or that do not act nice to the hens, or that have something wrong with them (crooked beak, missing toe, big beards that block vision, etc.) If you reach a point where all the remaining ones are healthy and nice, then keep the one that's a personal favorite

If you have a rooster and some hens, it is fun to hatch eggs. But soon you have way too many cockerels. Being willing to butcher your own chickens provides an obvious solution here too.

Different people do things differently--so of course you are getting plenty of different advice.
Hopefully you will be able to pick useful bits out of what everyone says, and come up with something that works for you!

 

[KMedley]

A good safe coop & run is much more protective than any rooster.
Any predator that could kill a hen, could also kill a rooster.
Some roosters will notice predators and warn the hens to run to safety--but some might notice the predator and run anyway, and some roosters will not give a warning.
Some roosters do chase off some predators, and some roosters get killed trying.

My personal advice would be to not get any rooster unless you are able (mentally and physically) to butcher chickens. Then get several male chicks, raise them, and plan to eat all but one. Which ones do you eat? The ones that do not act nice to you, or that do not act nice to the hens, or that have something wrong with them (crooked beak, missing toe, big beard that block vision, etc.) If you reach a point where all the remaining ones are healthy and nice, then keep the one that's a personal favorite

If you have a rooster and some hens, it is fun to hatch eggs. But soon you have way too many cockerels. Being willing to butcher your own chickens provides an obvious solution here too.

Different people do things differently--so of course you are getting plenty of different advice.
Hopefully you will be able to pick useful bits out of what everyone says, and come up with something that works for you!

This is a very neat idea, I do like it. We have a friend who butchers his chickens and my husband has helped, so I know he’ll be on board in your experience, once it’s pretty clear which one will be kept, do you treat the others any different knowing they may become meat birds? Different diet or anything like that

 

[neo71665]

This is a very neat idea, I do like it. We have a friend who butchers his chickens and my husband has helped, so I know he’ll be on board in your experience, once it’s pretty clear which one will be kept, do you treat the others any different knowing they may become meat birds? Different diet or anything like that

Different people act different but over time all my birds are meat birds. I'm not gonna feed them to just to end up fertilizing grass. Everything on my farm earns it's keep one way or the other.

 

[Lovem all]

The girls should be round his age and do it as soon as your ready but fair warning if you get him and the girls are much older they'll have a harder time wanting to listen lol. I have a 10 year old who still refuses to my 6-7 year old roo. Also Bared Rocks are realy great chickens, you'll love them. And if you want something a little "flashyish" in the flock I would suggest having a barred rock mixed with australorp. This is a really handsome combination and the babies come out barred and sometimes have a green shimmer to the feathers.

 

[NatJ]

in your experience, once it’s pretty clear which one will be kept, do you treat the others any different knowing they may become meat birds? Different diet or anything like that

No, nothing special. Just free-choice chick starter, same as for pullets and the cockerels I might keep. And whatever amount of run space or free-range is being provided to the rest. I don't even withhold feed before butchering, because that requires too much advance planning

For me, one major benefit of starting with several is that I get to see what behaviors are normal. So if one cockerel bites me when I pick him up, and the other three don't, I know that not all cockerels bite when picked up. If I only had Biter, I might think all cockerels did that, and put up with it.

I also think they are less likely to challenge or attack people when they have other cockerels to establish a pecking order with, but I do not have any real proof of that. I've seen some that ruffled up and jumped around for a few seconds, about every ten minutes, all day long! They weren't hurting each other, they weren't bothering the pullets, and they certainly weren't attacking me, so I just enjoyed watching them.