Ask yourself a few questions and be honest ...
1. Do I need fertile eggs to be able to hatch chicks and grow my flock? (Yes - keep a rooster No - get rid of all roosters)
2. Do I have children or grandchildren that will see chickens as pets and want to hold them? (Yes - get rid of all roosters)
3. Do I live in an area where incessant crowing, possibly day and night, will disturb anyone including myself? (Yes - get rid of all roosters)
4. Will I be able to allow the rooster to breed with my hens, sometimes several times a day, and not be upset by it? (Don't know - view YouTube on chicken breeding)
5. Am I prepared to provide space, food and attention to a brooding hen in order to keep her and her chicks safe? (No - get rid of all roosters)
Having roosters is a chicken keeping chore in and of itself. Yes they will attempt to provide some protection for their hens should a predator come around and that will often result in the death or serious injury to the rooster. So keeping a rooster for protection is often a one shot deal and introducing a new rooster to a flock of hens is not an easy task.
Unless you must have a rooster for the propogation of your chickens I strongly recommend that you get rid of all the roosters you have while they are young enough that someone may want them. I currently have 7 Rhode Island Red roosters that were included as packing peanuts in an order of Bantams. I have tried giving them away to anyone that wanted them for any reason at all. I even offered to deliver them. I got zero replies. So, even if you decide to get rid of them, don't be surprised if you can't find any takers. You may find yourself in the position I am in, having to put together a bachelor pen to keep them in until they are old enough to be butchered (which is usually the reason someone would be willing to take them anyway).
1. Do I need fertile eggs to be able to hatch chicks and grow my flock? (Yes - keep a rooster No - get rid of all roosters)
2. Do I have children or grandchildren that will see chickens as pets and want to hold them? (Yes - get rid of all roosters)
3. Do I live in an area where incessant crowing, possibly day and night, will disturb anyone including myself? (Yes - get rid of all roosters)
4. Will I be able to allow the rooster to breed with my hens, sometimes several times a day, and not be upset by it? (Don't know - view YouTube on chicken breeding)
5. Am I prepared to provide space, food and attention to a brooding hen in order to keep her and her chicks safe? (No - get rid of all roosters)
Having roosters is a chicken keeping chore in and of itself. Yes they will attempt to provide some protection for their hens should a predator come around and that will often result in the death or serious injury to the rooster. So keeping a rooster for protection is often a one shot deal and introducing a new rooster to a flock of hens is not an easy task.
Unless you must have a rooster for the propogation of your chickens I strongly recommend that you get rid of all the roosters you have while they are young enough that someone may want them. I currently have 7 Rhode Island Red roosters that were included as packing peanuts in an order of Bantams. I have tried giving them away to anyone that wanted them for any reason at all. I even offered to deliver them. I got zero replies. So, even if you decide to get rid of them, don't be surprised if you can't find any takers. You may find yourself in the position I am in, having to put together a bachelor pen to keep them in until they are old enough to be butchered (which is usually the reason someone would be willing to take them anyway).
