Why have a Rooster if you want just eggs?

[rambunctious]

Forgive what I'm sure is a silly question! I'm obviously new! We're looking to get some chickens next year and I'm in MASS research mode!

I'm wondering why you want a Rooster if you don't want to hatch chicks? We're primarily wanting chicken's for eggs. (hen is a female layer right?- what's a pullet?, is it the same as a hen but younger?)

We're wanting to free range as much as we can (but we have 3 acres with one lil tree on it- so I would hate for them to get pilfered from overhead!) I understand that a Rooster would help 'protect' the flock from dangers. That and providing lil chicks is all I can think of (and they're pretty- but that's besides the point!)

Enlighten me please!!

Thanks!

 

[chiques chicks]

You seem to understand it correctly. No real need for a rooster if you just want eggs to eat.
And yes, a pullet is a young female before they begin laying.

 

[chfite]

I kept a rooster because he is attractive to see, interesting in his behavior with the hens, entertaining in his antics, and part of the overall scheme of things. We are in it for the eggs, too.

Chris

 

[wayne hulgan]

yes a pullet is a young hen. we have 5 hens and no rooster. plenty of eggs, but no baby chicks. If you are only wanting eggs, then no rooster. If you live in a town they may have no rooster laws, they may even have a no chicken law. we let our girls out to free range daily on our almost 4 acres, but we have lot more cover for our girls. planting a lot more trees, bushes and the like will help. it will also give your girls shade from the heat. we planted several new trees, but they grow slow. to have quick cover and pretty bushes, we planted butterfly bushes, these are actually weeds, but pretty ones. and they grow very fast. we also planted knockout roses. they grow fast and are very pretty. we planted the butterfly bushes alone around the yard. we planted the roses in groups of 3 in a triangle. this makes very good cover. our girls just love the rose garden. oh!! another thing. these roses and bushes are very hardy don't take very much care, (a little pruning in the winter, a little fert. in the spring.). hope my ramblings helped.

 

[rambunctious]

yes a pullet is a young hen. we have 5 hens and no rooster. plenty of eggs, but no baby chicks. If you are only wanting eggs, then no rooster. If you live in a town they may have no rooster laws, they may even have a no chicken law. we let our girls out to free range daily on our almost 4 acres, but we have lot more cover for our girls. planting a lot more trees, bushes and the like will help. it will also give your girls shade from the heat. we planted several new trees, but they grow slow. to have quick cover and pretty bushes, we planted butterfly bushes, these are actually weeds, but pretty ones. and they grow very fast. we also planted knockout roses. they grow fast and are very pretty. we planted the butterfly bushes alone around the yard. we planted the roses in groups of 3 in a triangle. this makes very good cover. our girls just love the rose garden. oh!! another thing. these roses and bushes are very hardy don't take very much care, (a little pruning in the winter, a little fert. in the spring.). hope my ramblings helped.

Helped immensely! Thank you!

 

[rambunctious]

I kept a rooster because he is attractive to see, interesting in his behavior with the hens, entertaining in his antics, and part of the overall scheme of things. We are in it for the eggs, too.

Chris

I think they're so beautiful! That's a big pull for me!

How to you ensure that you don't end up with chicks? Am I understanding correctly that even if the egg is fertilized, and you put it in the fridge the day they lay, then it's no different than an unfertilized egg?

 

[crchickens]

I think they're so beautiful! That's a big pull for me!

How to you ensure that you don't end up with chicks? Am I understanding correctly that even if the egg is fertilized, and you put it in the fridge the day they lay, then it's no different than an unfertilized egg?

Yes, the eggs are the same to eat, fertilized or not. We don't have a rooster, because we promised our neighbors we would try not too get one. I would love to have one, and am allowed to have one, but hubby prefers we don't. That may change next year. We will see.

 

[speckledhen]

No, you don't need one if you don't want one.

The reason I have them is because I free range my flocks on a rotating basis and roosters watch the surroundings about 80-90% of the time, while the hens are bent over stuffing their faces. Some say it's a romantic notion that roosters protect hens from predators, but I find that they certainly do try and they are more alert and sound the alarm to get everyone to safety. It's the way they are programmed, though naturally, not all roosters are created equal. In my predator-rich environment, we haven't lost any birds to predators the entire time we've owned chickens, though we've had hawk attacks and roaming dogs invade the fenced area. I credit my roosters.

These make for good reading:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/521876/why-have-a-rooster-new-pg-10-video-pg-13
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/525626/fox-football-anyone

 

[JodyJo]

Why have a roo? Well, they could turn out like this guy! Hard to get rid of them....in fact I am in mass debate with myself now...keep him or get rid of him...I have hatched out two batches of chicks, by slipping everyones eggs under 2 broody Australorps, now a cochin/silkie mix is sitting on 7 eggs...but my girls are getting all torn up from the roos...(I have 2, the other isn't as nice as this one, but pretty as well...) they are entertaining, and break up fights between the girls...find treats, protect etc...the choice is your own...

I just pick up eggs daily, fertilized or not...once chilled and away from the hen and warmth, they do not become a chick...safe to eat...only when the hens go broody can you get chicks.....its my job to keep the girls from being injured...tough choice.

You will make the right one...what ever works for you and your family.

I should add, my 14 girls free range daily, all day over more than 10 acres, we have over 300 they could go...they send up quite the warning when any danger approaches...

 

[RaeRae2]

Roosters are not for everyone. I have one right now because he was the McMurray freebie but time will tell if he gets to stay or not. He is just starting to get a little bit obnoxious - pulling feathers out of the hens and making them scream and run. He only does it ocassionally but if it becomes an every day occurance, he will GO very quickly. Every rooster I have ever owned has been a nasty, hateful devil. They have all been vicious to the hens, noisy, obnoxious, and just a general pain around the farm. The last rooster I had was the only one at the top of a tree fending for his life while the hens were being eaten by a fox. He sure didn't protect his flock or help them in any way. I have had entire flocks of chickens killed by red tail hawks while they had one or multiple roosters living with them, so clearly the roosters did nothing to warn or protect. I cannot bear to see hens with bald backs from overbreeding and we have always been very careful to keep the ration of hens to roosters good at around 8-10 hens per one rooster. Didn't make any difference. I find that roosters end up with their "favorites" and they'll jump and breed the same hen 43 times a day while other hens go unnoticed. When my hens start screaming and hiding from the roosters, then the roosters have to leave.

I think you either love roosters or you don't. I don't. Some people do. At this point I would never go out and purposely seek out to buy a rooster. I have this one and I didn't even bother to name him because he probably won't end up staying here. He is a Dark Brahma and that's the only thing keeping him around so far (he's 5 months old) - I have read that the roosters of this breed are exceptionally gentle and quiet. But I'm not kidding, the first time I see hens actively running and hiding from him, he will go on craigslist free to a new home. I have tolerated the drama of roosters way too many times in my life and won't tolerate it any more.

I've had people say that I just had a rooster from an aggressive breed....but over the years we have had various roosters of various breeds, and mixed Heinz 57 varieties.....EVERY one of them has been too aggressive to the hens. This Dark Brahma I have now is the LAST chance for a rooster on this farm. If a Dark Brahma can't be gentle, docile, and quiet, then I don't really think there's any hope for any of them. I almost told McMurray not to send the free mystery chick because I knew it would be a rooster, but I thought my friend would take him, and she didn't. Now I'm stuck with him.

So far I have noticed him stealing food from the hens and running with it. He uses his brute size to overpower them at the food. I cut a watermelon in half, set the two halves out there, and the rooster had an entire half to himself. All the hens were at the other half. One hen tried to go eat by him and he grabbed her by the neck and ripped out her feathers. She screamed and ran back to the other watermelon. He has NO idea how thin the ice is that he treads on.

Sure they have pretty colors to look at. But so do the flowers planted around my chicken run. I can look at flowers if I'm in need of seeing something colorful and pretty.

DISCLAIMER:
I should however state, that to my knowledge EVERY rooster we have ever owned was directly from a hatchery or from hatchery stock. I have read that you get far better traits from birds when you buy from a private breeder. So it is entirely possible I could end up with a great, docile, gentle rooster if I bought direct from a high quality breeder. I do wonder if those who love their roosters got them from a good breeder, and not from hatchery stock. I will not dismiss that as being a distinct possibility. We all know that you get better quality when you don't buy from a mass production facility only interested in profits!