Would a rooster help?

[kproffer]

We have a flock of 26 hens. The coop is about 10x12 with a large run attached. So far headwear cloth is working and we’ve never had a predator inside the coop or run. I have lost a few to predators while they were free ranging. Fox, coyote, hawk and dogs are our main predators. We don’t generally let them out of the run unless we are home, but the do have access to a large barn and several protective trees when they’re out. We’ve been seeing foxes down the road from us and came home to one in front of the coop last night. I’ve also had an issue with a few of the hens ranging beyond our land and tempting the neighbor’s dog. Since they’re not out all the time would a rooster (or a few) be super helpful or more trouble than they’re worth? Is my coop big enough for multiple rooster/hen groups?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, I'm in SE MO as well. In all honesty, I think you're tempting fate to free range your flock with the predator load you describe. The primary function of a rooster, besides fertilizing the eggs, is to alert the hens of danger. He can't really protect the flock from the predators you describe, although he may (and likely will) die trying.

We have free-ranged for over 10 years with minimal losses thanks to the diligence of a good little Sheltie who always patrolled the property. Until about a month ago when a coyote took not only five good hens but also my good BJG rooster who gave himself protecting them. My Sheltie's getting old and is spending more time in the house, sad to say. Lesson learned. No more free ranging.

Your coop is big enough for about 30 birds (square footage divided by 4 sq ft per bird, assuming sufficient roost space per bird). But it's probably not set up for GROUPS of birds. The only one here that I know who has what he calls (I think) "tribes" is @Shadrach, and his birds live on large acreage where each tribe has its own separate territory. Not sure how it would work to have multiple roos and a single large harem in one big building. Hopefully some who are doing it will chime in and encourage and/or educate you!

Hmm, who should we start with? @DobieLover comes to mind. If she can't help, she'll know who can.

 

[TheCluckyClucker2]

My rooster isn't any trouble. In fact, don't tell the hens, but I honestly like the roosters better. I don't know what I would do without my big guy.

 

[aart]

You'd be better off with some electric poultry netting than a cock/erel for predator issues

 

[NatJ]

Not sure how it would work to have multiple roos and a single large harem in one big building.

I've had 43 females and 7 males in a 12x12 pen for quite a while--maybe half a year or a bit more. They were certainly grown up and laying/mating for months before I sorted them out into breeding groups.

I've always thought it was common to have breeding groups with multiple males, and I'm sure the hatcheries do it.

(In case anyone thinks my 50 chickens in 12x12 were overcrowded: that number included some small breeds and bantams who didn't need as much space each, it was many years ago, and in hindsight I do think more space would have been better. But the chickens did not kill or injure each other, which is one of my main criteria for whether they have "enough" space.)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll add my opinions to this.

We have a flock of 26 hens. The coop is about 10x12 with a large run attached. So far headwear cloth is working and we’ve never had a predator inside the coop or run. I have lost a few to predators while they were free ranging. Fox, coyote, hawk and dogs are our main predators.

Fox are typically ambush predators. They can strike before the rooster even knows they are there. I'm not sure how coyotes hunt. A rooster can't really stand up to a fox, coyote, or a decent sized dog. Oh, anything can happen, it's possible a rooster could interfere if he really attacked, some predators may run away if they feel threatened or surprised. But typically the rooster would die. I've been through two different dog attacks, lost 8 chickens in one and 5 in the other. Both times the rooster did not lose a feather. He obviously tried to lead his flock to safety instead of fighting a rear guard action.

Typically hawks do not carry the chicken away unless they are feeding babies in a nest. Usually they eat where they kill. A rooster could chase a hawk away, maybe even in time to save the chicken. But often they don't. Hawks have delicate bones that break easily, they don't like a fight.

A good rooster keeps a watch out for predators, especially in the sky. They tend to have an instinctive worry about flying predators, more than ground predators. So a rooster may be an early warning system, but if a flock doesn't have a dominant rooster the dominant hen often takes over this responsibility.

When the flock detects that something just isn't quite right a rooster will usually place himself between the suspicious area and the flock. The entire flock gives a certain alert sound, sort of a nervous purring. He very carefully checks it out to see if he needs to lead the flock to safety. That makes him more vulnerable and could contribute to the stories where he bravely sacrificed himself to save the flock. The dominant hen might do this if there is no dominant rooster in the flock.

I’ve also had an issue with a few of the hens ranging beyond our land and tempting the neighbor’s dog.

This describes another issue. With a flock that large the hens are not going to stay in a tight flock around a rooster. Different groups of hens are going to do their own thing. If he is not right there he can't protect them. If they are close enough they might hear a flying predator alarm, but in a flock that size some probably won't be close enough.

Since they’re not out all the time would a rooster (or a few) be super helpful or more trouble than they’re worth?

That's for you to decide. It may take some trial and error to get a good feeling for that. For many people having a rooster doesn't cause any trouble at all. For others having one or more roosters can be a huge problem. A lot depends on the roosters. If you try and it doesn't work out you need to be willing to get rid of him or them.

Is my coop big enough for multiple rooster/hen groups?

The size of the coop may not be the big issue, the size of that large run may be more critical. Sometimes multiple roosters can live together in a relatively small area but usually the more room you have the better. It depends a lot on the individual roosters, especially if space is limited. Sometimes they can share a coop at night but can't share space during the day. The only way to know for sure is to try it. Be ready to isolate them from each other or from the flock if the need arises. That need can come pretty quickly.

 

[kproffer]

We have free-ranged for over 10 years with minimal losses thanks to the diligence of a good little Sheltie who always patrolled the property. Until about a month ago when a coyote took not only five good hens but also my good BJG rooster who gave himself protecting them. My Sheltie's getting old and is spending more time in the house, sad to say. Lesson learned. No more free ranging.

Your Sheltie doesn’t try to herd your flock? I guess it’s all individual personality and training. The dog we had issues with was the neighbor’s Aussie/English shepherd mix. He was a great dog otherwise but too much of a puppy to leave my hens alone. Unfortunately he was hit by a car soon after the attack.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

A rooster will not protect hens from predators he will save himself thats it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Your Sheltie doesn’t try to herd your flock? I guess it’s all individual personality and training. The dog we had issues with was the neighbor’s Aussie/English shepherd mix. He was a great dog otherwise but too much of a puppy to leave my hens alone. Unfortunately he was hit by a car soon after the attack.

Yes, she does try to herd them. Unfortunately she is unclear about where to herd them to. If a bird gets out of the run, for example, she is as likely as not to chase the hen AWAY from the gate I am trying to get her to go into. She also seems morally opposed to seeing them in a nice, tight, calm little cluster, and plays a little game with them we call "bowling for chickens." She finds this hilarious and the chickens settle down quickly, so I let her live.

 

[kproffer]

You'd be better off with some electric poultry netting than a cock/erel for predator issues

Do people usually leave it stationary or move it around for better foraging?