Why have a rooster, except for hatching out eggs?

[FortWorthChicks]

Quote:
The neighbors dog barking will get your roo crowing all the time too. All night if the dog barks all night.

Also one roo for five girls is better... maybe 6. Because those girls will be worn out and tired before long.

I had to rehome a silkie rooster because he was attacking my daughter anytime they were out. Now I am hatching Cochins and hoping for a friendly roo. They apparently are known to be a pretty friendly breed.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

In a tractor I wouldn't keep a rooster with hens unless I needed the fertile eggs. Even then I wouldn't keep him in there any longer than necessary to get the job done.

A rooster or two in a free range situation - where the girls can get away from him when they want to - can be a good thing. In confinment he can be hard on the girls and serve little useful purpose if you're not wanting to hatch your own.

.....Alan.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

Oh i didn't know it was in a tractor.

I agree with A.T. Hagan

 

[silkydragon]

you could get like a banty roo to put in with 3 standard hens he will still get all the jobs as a bigger roo done taking care of the flock and fun to watch and not very hard on youre hens or if you just get 3banty hens and a banty roo that would be ok i have a small mixed flock which free ranges (unless theres snow on the ground the snow makes an invisible barrier no1 wants to touch and while they are locked up in winter(door hanging open) i get no fights and no barebacks my coop is small for how many i have becouse i wasnt counting on them living in there so often since they were outside all summer but they breed just as much in winter as summer i have 5roos to maybe 12 hens in a smaller then 10x10 area in the winter (summer they roost in our barn but we hang deer carcus in there in winter which would attract predaters) so summer they have like a 70x50 coop with 3floors to sleep in but they do fine cooped up in a smaller pen in winter i have a mix of bantys and standards

 

[Mrs. K]

I have 8 hens, and they get along fine without a roo. They are pretty quiet, kind of a purring sound, and a little clucking. I had roosters years ago, but I would NOT have a free range rooster if I had small children. Roos can get aggressive quickly, especially with someone small.

If you are only getting 4 or 5, I would get all hens. If you don't have a run, and let the free range, a rooster would be nice, but it sounds like you are just getting started, and I would start with all hens, if you can. mk

 

[lildinkem]

VERY GOOD REASON TO KEEP a couple of Roo's around.
Today we had a Red Tail Hawk come down and snap the neck of one of Bruno the Birchen Marans Roo's half Sister's, who live over in the next pen. I heard the fuss, and ran out just mins after. Their pens are in the back of my yard, that is over 100 yards away. Once I got there, Bruno had already busted into the pen with his 1/2 Bro Gorilla Monsoon a Black Copper Marans Roo & their dead sister and they had ran off the Hawk. I make a homemade gate out of branch between the two pens and NEVER has Bruno gone into that pen till today. I guess 2 Big Marans Roo's with 2 inch spurs were able to hold their own. Sad to loose a big healthy girl, pretty cool to know how good a boys my little men are.
Not only the Hawk did not get to eat my girl. I was able to process her, so she did not become a total loss.
I am proud of my boys!

R O O S T E R P O W E R ! ! ! !

 

[gritsar]

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Yep! Yep! Love my roo. If goodness forbid, something were to keep me from keeping hens I'd still find a way to keep my roo around. He's a trip. All that testosterone in one not-so-little body.

 

[tdgill]

yep, I was thinking the same thing. I started out wanting hens, now the boys have stolen my heart. If I had to keep one or the other, I'd keep my roos.

I was wondering about kids and roos. Whoever has both and no problems, chime in here! Are there special circumstances for having both? Having children help raise the roos? Having the kids feed treats to the roos, etc? Making sure you get the most docile breed you can and start with chicks or find a roo thats used to small children?

 

[andalusn]

Our Jersey Gian rooster is very gentle, raised from a show breeder and handled a lot as he was raised up. Great with adults but does not trust small children. He had an issue in a prev home where a small child who did not know better got excited and ran up on the hens in what he preceived as an aggressive manner and he charged back. Ever since he takes the stance of no small kids close to the hens. I don't have small children around to try and retrain him so if company w/children are coming the hens and rooster get locked up for good measure. I adore my roosters and when there is one at the feed store looking for a home it's hard to walk by.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
IMHO, small children and roos don't mix. Roosters have tiny little brains and they use what brain power they have to focus on reproducing and protecting their flock. What is that tiny brain suppose to perceive a creature (child) that is running around, making noise and sometimes, chasing their hens as but a predator? They will respond to anything that they think is a threat, even a child which isn't a threat. Don't expect a rooster to know the difference.