Why Have a Rooster?

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Since you're new, some of the good advice that I've followed is this:

Have a hen-only flock the first year then let mature hens raise up the males with good chicken manners. Not beat up on them and put them in fear, but teach them their place in chicken society so that they don't become bullies as hatchmate cockerels might if there are no adults to show them how a good chicken is supposed to behave.

Too bad I did not read in July/August when I went chicken ordering crazy. We are in the waiting to see who is a guy stage with 10 brooding from a straight run order and 17 in coop that we are listening to see the whosy whatsy. Our boys will be brahma, cochin.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Mine have too it's awesome

We R E A L L Y need clapping hands among the emoticons .

 

[Sussex19]

Our rooster rarely chases after his chickens, and wether he chases a little and they just stop or he courts them and the girls just squat on the spot, he mounts them he never pulls any feathers off, nor do the girls scream for help (which his sons do do sometimes). So I'd characterize his mating as gentle. Guess it's just our rooster then.

My rooster is the same, never chases unless he thinks there's a real need, and never upsets the hens when he mounts them. All the hens love him, and so do I!

 

[gadus]

I can see now that this topic has been previously exhausted to death so I appreciate the feedback.
We have many predators - bobcat, fox, raccoon, bear, hawk, even rats (though I hope I dispatched the last of them) - so I am pretty well convinced that on the predator issue alone a rooster is a smart move.

I think also that a second rooster might work if I add space but the current coop is not nearly big enough to accommodate two, nor the chicks I expect to hatch in the next year.

As for the rest of it, I guess the sooner I stop anthropomorphizing, the better off I'll be. Cheers.

 

[Domino-The-Rooster]

My rooster is amazing i think that you can tell i have a rooster but hes so sweet protects his chicks when hens go after them so definitely recommend

 

[Shewstock]

I would increase the number if you want a male. 3 hens may not be enough for him.

Only 100% reason is because obviously if you want to hatch your own chicks, the hens need a boyfriend.

I keep them together unless they're an extra that isn't staying or if I have to kennel birds for their safety

Yes, well.... I don't because I'm lazy. But yes.

All day, every day

Roosters can be iffy. They aren't all mean, but they're certainly not all nice either. And don't get a bantam because they're smaller. They may be less than a pound of angry, but that pound of angry can get airborne quite easily.

LOL! TRUE!!

 

[MaddChickens]

I'd say, if you choose to have a boy for whatever reason, take the time to research the breed, and get some more gals. Certain breeds can lean towards jerkiness, and at the same time others are just manly snugglebugs. Remember though, there are always going to be thorns in the rosebush, so even if you choose a roo that's known for being sweet you might get a bossy boy. Also the hens probably wouldn't love to be overbred, so if you do decide that a rooster is needed, please up the population to at least 7 girls.

 

[DonyaQuick]

and at the same time others are just manly snugglebugs

"Manly snugglebugs," I love it! I had a rooster like that, just a big huggy boy that made dinosaur noises. I have a cockerel from him that is so far turning out exactly the same.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Unless you're a breeder, you don't *have* to keep a rooster.

If I were able to have roosters, I would have one or two, because I love to hatch eggs and would enjoy having a breeding project.

I have small children, so if I were to have a rooster, I would have him in a breeding flock that lives in their own coop. Roosters are unpredictable, and so are young kids. They just don't mix well. The kids would have egg hens of their own that don't have a rooster.

If anyone does need a rooster, there are a lot around. There are many out there that need a home. Personally, I would give my good cockerels a chance to find a home before sending them to freezer camp. Look in the rehoming threads for your location, or Craigslist.

Beware of the idea that a hand raised, arm perching, cuddly cockerel will grow up to be a friendly rooster.

My first rooster was handled a lot, and he was not afraid of me. He was a bold chick, I would let him jump on my arm, carry him on my shoulder and head, and thought I was teaching him to trust me. I was wrong. What I did was teach him he could get whatever he wanted from me, and that I was not something to be afraid of.
As a result, when he was fully grown he beat the everliving tar out of me and I was too young to really stand up for myself. There are lots of stories like this, of birds that aren't afraid of people so they try to put them in line.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Unless you're a breeder, you don't *have* to keep a rooster.

If I were able to have roosters, I would have one or two, because I love to hatch eggs and would enjoy having a breeding project.

I have small children, so if I were to have a rooster, I would have him in a breeding flock that lives in their own coop. Roosters are unpredictable, and so are young kids. They just don't mix well. The kids would have egg hens of their own that don't have a rooster.

If anyone does need a rooster, there are a lot around. There are many out there that need a home. Personally, I would give my good cockerels a chance to find a home before sending them to freezer camp. Look in the rehoming threads for your location, or Craigslist.

Beware of the idea that a hand raised, arm perching, cuddly cockerel will grow up to be a friendly rooster.

My first rooster was handled a lot, and he was not afraid of me. He was a bold chick, I would let him jump on my arm, carry him on my shoulder and head, and thought I was teaching him to trust me. I was wrong. What I did was teach him he could get whatever he wanted from me, and that I was not something to be afraid of.
As a result, when he was fully grown he beat the everliving tar out of me and I was too young to really stand up for myself. There are lots of stories like this, of birds that aren't afraid of people so they try to put them in line.

I want to continue this but accidentally hit send without finishing.

I have also had decent roosters raised with lots of handling

My point was that hand reared roos are not guaranteed to be good boys.