Why Have a Rooster?

[DixT]

A rooster is a good idea in my opinion. They are great protectors and are always on the watch for predators. They will fight to the death to protect their hens. When they find a choice piece of food or snack like an insect or a piece of grain, they will make this cute sound calling the hens to come and eat it. They will let the hens eat first for the most part. Some are gentler when mating then others. They are also used for breeding if you want more chicks. I definetly recommend a rooster!

I agree with everything you said 100%!

 

[DParker75089]

No the rooster isn't necessary. He's just loud and causes the eggs to have cholesterol when fertilized.

Why people feel the need to spread utterly baseless nonsense like this is beyond me.

 

[bobbi-j]

Whether you keep a rooster or not is entirely personal preference. What are your goals? Do you want pets that lay eggs? If so, you might not want to keep a rooster. In my experience, when the hens have a rooster in the flock, they are more dependent on him, and not as friendly toward me. The rooster will often lead his hens away from me when I am out and about near the chickens. (I feel that this is a good rooster doing his job. A bad rooster would feel the need to attack me because he can’t remember from day to day that I’m not a threat.) Do you want to hatch from your own flock? A rooster is needed. Or, if you have neighbors with fertile eggs, get some of those to tuck under a broody. Just make sure you have a plan for extra cockerels. Chances are, you’ll get some.

In my opinion, the pros are:
1. Fertile eggs. I like having fertile eggs in case I end up with a broody. I’d love to be able to replenish my flock from home-hatched chicks

2. I love the crowing. I live in the country, so no neighbors close enough to be bothered

3. Eye candy.

I don’t count on them for protection. An alert hen can also be an alarm system. Often times a rooster is just a speed bump for a predator that is intent on killing your flock. Once he’s dead, the hens are still vulnerable.

The cons that I see are:
1. When you have one that wants to attack you, it sucks the joy out of chicken keeping.

2. They can be unpredictable - especially around small children.

3. Sometimes the hens can be overbred, causing them to look ratty.

If you decide to keep a rooster, watch for subtle signs that he may be thinking bad thoughts toward you. He may stalk you, sneak around behind you, stare at you with the stink eye (you’ll know it if you see it), or not respect your space. I prefer a rooster that is stand-offish. He moves away when I come near. He doesn’t challenge me.

Whatever you decide, I hope it works out well for you. Chicken keeping can be a great hobby!

 

[Sussex19]

The rooster will often lead his hens away from me when I am out and about near the chickens. (I feel that this is a good rooster doing his job.

I find that interesting, as both my roosters actually come running to meet me and bring all their hens with them. Both are very well-behaved nice roosters.

 

[3KillerBs]

They spur the hens to hold on and it will rip the hens up and some times it will get infected. Basically, need about 1 rooster per 12 or more hens.

This is misinformation.

A clumsy rooster or one with overgrown spurs may injure a hen, but they do not stab the hens during mating. Some are more gentle than others, some are better coordinated. The toenails may do more damage than the spurs. Part of my periodic night checks includes feeling the rooster's toenails to see how sharp they are. I haven't needed to trim one yet, but it could be necessary in the future.

Also, some hens have weaker feathers and are more prone to bare backs than others.

There are people who successfully keep breeding pairs and trios. There are people who have 20 hens to one rooster and have bare backs.

 

[MOMMYHENOF16]

Hello, I am new to chickens. I only have three hens. Is there a reason to have a rooster? If you have a rooster do you keep him with all the hens, or do you have to separate them? Do you still collect eggs each day? How often will the rooster be mating with the hens? Any advice on the advantages to having a rooster vs not having one is helpful? Thank you!

I have ALL the same questions! And back when I thought we would “need” a rooster for protection over the flock, a good friend of mine hatched a couple of good roosters for us, and JUST TODAY she sent me a text letting me know they are ready for them to head to our farm! BUT, I’m not sure I want them now! Don’t really need them….and not sure how it would go with merging them into the flock of girls we have. We have 29 hens. And some can have real attitudes and I would feel terrible if these roosters got picked on by the girls! I am facing a “I don’t know what to do” situation myself! So I feel ya!
I do know that with a rooster,
They mate daily, and yes you will need to collect eggs daily still, unless you want baby chicks to emerge.
Once collected and kept in a cool place the process of fertilizing ceases.

The question of where to keep the roosters is MY big question right now too!! I want to take these boys off my friends hands and maybe give it a try, but I don’t know where to put them.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have ALL the same questions! And back when I thought we would “need” a rooster for protection over the flock, a good friend of mine hatched a couple of good roosters for us, and JUST TODAY she sent me a text letting me know they are ready for them to head to our farm! BUT, I’m not sure I want them now! Don’t really need them….and not sure how it would go with merging them into the flock of girls we have. We have 29 hens. And some can have real attitudes and I would feel terrible if these roosters got picked on by the girls! I am facing a “I don’t know what to do” situation myself! So I feel ya!
I do know that with a rooster,
They mate daily, and yes you will need to collect eggs daily still, unless you want baby chicks to emerge.
Once collected and kept in a cool place the process of fertilizing ceases.

The question of where to keep the roosters is MY big question right now too!! I want to take these boys off my friends hands and maybe give it a try, but I don’t know where to put them.

How old are your gals?

 

[bobbi-j]

I find that interesting, as both my roosters actually come running to meet me and bring all their hens with them. Both are very well-behaved nice roosters.

I’ve had chickens long enough that I’ve seen both behaviors. I think my current cockerels will be like your boys because my adult hens are shameless beggars. They come running every time we go out there because we feed them kitchen and garden scraps daily. The younger birds have a also learned this behavior. I’m OK with that, as long as they move away when I want them to. I’m very picky about their behavior since I have young grandchildren that like to see the chickens and pick eggs. The cockerel I kept last year, hoping he’d be my flock leader, threatened my then 2-year old granddaughter. She was standing right next to me - not running, not making noise, just standing there. When i picked her up and tried to chase him away, he kept circling back at us. He was immediately placed in the grow out pen. He was very tasty. The one I had before that was one who led the hens away any time I came near. Even when I put out scraps. He ended up in the stew pot after he tried to kill one of my older hens, then viciously attacked a pullet. Hoping that one of the two cockerels I kept this year work out. (The one that attacked the hen and pullet replaced a sweet rooster who we had for about 3 years before he died.)

 

[bobbi-j]

I have ALL the same questions! And back when I thought we would “need” a rooster for protection over the flock, a good friend of mine hatched a couple of good roosters for us, and JUST TODAY she sent me a text letting me know they are ready for them to head to our farm! BUT, I’m not sure I want them now! Don’t really need them….and not sure how it would go with merging them into the flock of girls we have. We have 29 hens. And some can have real attitudes and I would feel terrible if these roosters got picked on by the girls! I am facing a “I don’t know what to do” situation myself! So I feel ya!
I do know that with a rooster,
They mate daily, and yes you will need to collect eggs daily still, unless you want baby chicks to emerge.
Once collected and kept in a cool place the process of fertilizing ceases.

The question of where to keep the roosters is MY big question right now too!! I want to take these boys off my friends hands and maybe give it a try, but I don’t know where to put them.

You could always put them in the freezer if it doesn’t work out…

Something to consider - the “rooster to hen ratio” often quoted here, is a general thing. Having x many hens for x number of roosters doesn’t mean it will all magically work out. Roosters can’t count, and their little chicken brains aren’t capable of reasoning that “if Fred over there has those 10 hens, then these 10 must be mine.” Sometimes they will divide themselves into separate flocks - that has happened here, but I also have two coops and plenty of space for them to free range. (It was interesting watching the two flocks go out to their own places on the property - each had their territory.) The thing to remember is, roosters are intact males. They are unpredictable. It could work, or it might not. Have a Plan B to separate them quickly, because sometimes things go sideways real fast, and it can get ugly.

 

[3KillerBs]

Something to consider - the “rooster to hen ratio” often quoted here, is a general thing. Having x many hens for x number of roosters doesn’t mean it will all magically work out.

Excellent post!