Who has the best rooster

[BantamLover55]

How do you know those stories are true? I've heard a lot of stories as well, but I've seen some of the chicken predators in action and frankly, I'm very skeptical about a lot of the stories I've heard. I'm afraid that too often they are like fisherman's tales about the size of their catches. )

One of my Iowa Blue roosters fought off a weasel.

If you would like more information, you can look up the iowa blue chicken club website.

 

[cash money]

Cool thanks

 

[cash money]

Keep them coming

 

[MeepBeep]

One of my Iowa Blue roosters fought off a weasel.

No doubt under some circumstances a chicken/rooster can and will fend off a smaller and/or less determined predator, but I wouldn't call it the norm nor would I bet the chicken in most cases...

 

[cash money]

Any more

 

[chooks4life]

They're roosters, overall the same instincts are present in most of them.

If you want one for protection, well, probably best to keep a few, since one of the most effective protection behaviors they have is running away, lol. Their job in protection involves a large amount of keeping an eye out for predators and alerting the hens, and then all the flock flees to a safe place. A stupidly brave rooster is not only unlikely to actually do more than be the first to die, he's also unlikely to pass on his genes. But they get lauded in folklore, so you hear a lot about them, but in reality there's a good reason they're not so common... They died, lol. The ones who ran lived. Those who die don't really tend to save any hens, just look pointlessly heroic and live long in memory (if not in genetic legacy). You need a rooster who knows to pick his fights, not be so full of fight he doesn't even survive to sire offspring.

At night time, all bets are off, if the coop is not secure then no amount of roosters are going to protect your hens except by getting eaten first, lol. Most predation usually occurs at night so if your coop is not secure there's going to be a massacre sooner or later.

Quote: Then best to keep an appropriate number of both hens and roosters; 'losing' to a predator almost always means death, so if you keep enough roosters, you can afford for them to lose 80% of conflicts with predators (and however many hens the predator takes as well) and still have that 20% of successful defense cases. :/ Sounds like you'll have a very high chicken turnover rate.

If your dogs can't watch an acre, well... Maybe get a dedicated livestock guardian dog? Too small a place, probably... I wouldn't accept that one dog, never mind a few, could not protect an acre! Unless they're crippled in some way, or maybe just incredibly laid back and not useful as guards at all.

Sounds like you're just looking for pictures to choose a breed from, maybe? If you have a breed you like, your best bet is probably to find someone who keeps them free range, find out if the boys have a reputation for being protective or the first to run for safety, and get a rooster from them if they've got what you're after.

Best wishes.

 

[LanceTN]

Wouldn't the point of a rooster be to balance your flock? Their purpose is more so to help keep the flock together and warn them of danger. The fact a good rooster will give their life to protect the hens has some value but isn't there sole purpose.

And a guard dog isn't going to catch grasshoppers and give them to your hens like a good rooster will!

 

[sdm111]

Most predators their realistically no match for however I do have a cock that will seek and destroy cats. I don't know if he's seen one try to attack a hen or something but hates them.

 

[chooks4life]

Most predators their realistically no match for however I do have a cock that will seek and destroy cats.

When you say 'destroy cats' is he attacking pet cats or actually seeking out and killing feral cats?

Best wishes.

 

[sdm111]

Long story short. Cat lady down the street passed away and her cats started migrating to the woods and if he sees one or any other cat will go after it. If it runs it runs if it stands it's ground it'll attack it and run it off. He isn't free range if I see a cat I'll go get him. The first time I learned of his hatred my wife's cat walked by the pen and he went after him.