If you don't want fertilized eggs? I have 12 chicks. Hopefully all pullets. I also have two Roosters. I haven't decided what to do with them. Right now, they are in a smaller lot/coop of their own and the hen run/coop is just empty. I don't want baby chicks AT ALL. Atleast not this year, or next. But I've been reading that its good to have a rooster to watch the flock. Does this mean that he has to be in there with them, or just near them? Help a newbie out. Other than providing the hens with baby chicks, what is the purpose of keeping a rooster with your flock?
You can keep a roo in the pen with the hens without hatching chicks. You just have to collect the eggs. I personally have roosters because I love having them around. My boy is better than any guard dog...just ask the Fed Ex guy.
I first got a rooster because I wanted to expand my flock, but the rest of my roosters were accidents. I do keep them to warn the hens when danger is near. That is the main reason I have them now. I don't think the rooster has to be in the same pen as the hens for him to warn them, just the same area. I have four roosters that have a home with me as long as they live. All four have separate flocks separated by wire/coops. If roo #1 sees something out of place or a possible danger, he lets everyone know, not just his hens. The same goes for my other roosters. My WLH roo will tell on me if I don't wipe my shoes off before I go back in the house (not joking )
they help protect the flock and also keep the hens from fighting to bad. You only get chicks if you allow a broody hen to hatch eggs or you incubate them yourselves.
Our Jersey Giant, Black Orph, SLW and at least 2, maybe 3, of the white bantam Cochin roos are for breeding first and for most (3rd is a jerk). They do the alarm call for protection, but they do also have a Great Pyr who lives with them in the large run area, so they don't need to protect, but they do as nature wants them to. The frizzled bantam Cochin roo of some odd color, he has no breeding role (or he's not supposed to! ahem as we have a daughter of his with one of his BR girls, rolling my eyes here), but ok, fine. He's hilarious looking. He's funny to watch. He's just a total doll really. My 6 y/o showed him in Clover Kids (early 4-H here) this last summer, and he was the easiest bird by far to handle in the group, and he was just too stinking cute. Generally also, our roos are just the nicer of the flock. The ladies are pleasant and nice, but the roos are like puppy dogs following behind you some days, unless they are of the jerk or evil roo status and thus get to join freezer camp. Plus, the buka-buka-buka-buka treat alert is just hilarious to watch the roos find something lovely to eat and proudly announce it to the hens, who stampede over like elephants and gobble up the yummy to leave scraps if anything for the roos. Who happily go off and buka-buka-buka over the next treat...
Quote:So, just by collecting daily I can prevent that, right? I'm just having flashbacks to my friend who got a few hens, two were roosters and now three years later she has nearly 100 chickens. Won't they be more likely to go broody when a rooster around? I was watching a youtube video where the hen was sitting on her eggs, they were trying to take them away and she was attacking their hand.