There are lots of questions to ask about roosters and their worth. The answer to this question purely depends on your circumstances. Whether you’re an experienced farmer or just thinking about reasons to keep a rooster and backyard chickens, there are some key factors you need to consider before starting on this journey.
If you are looking to keep chickens purely for delicious and fresh eggs, you will not need a rooster as your hens themselves can produce eggs without a rooster. Another factor you need to consider is if your city allows roosters. Yes, it seems silly but heavily populated cities will not allow roosters so do some research about your local roosters laws before investing in one.
Now that we have addressed those important questions, we can get into the meat and potatoes of keeping roosters. Although opinions on roosters can heavily vary, having one in your flock can not only make a huge difference but can also benefit the health and mannerisms of your flock.
Here are 9 reasons to keep a rooster in your flock!
1. Guard… Roosters?
Believe it or not, roosters are very protective. They act as the guardian of their flock, making sure that everything is running smoothly. Since chickens have many predators, a rooster will constantly be alert, vigilantly watching the ground and sky. And they are great at their job, if they spot something that seems off or worries them, they immediately sound the alarm, and guide the hens and chicks into a safe place. If the predator gets too close, the rooster will not back down and hide, they will fight to the death. This is especially true if you have chicks in your flock.
2. Fertilized Eggs
If you want to keep growing your flock and want cute baby chicks running around in your backyard, a rooster is crucial. Roosters fertilize the eggs of your hens. This does not mean that the eggs your hens produce from now will be inedible. If you keep collecting your eggs every day, nothing will happen, you won’t find a baby chick while cooking. This does mean that if you have broody hens, a rooster, and skip collection, you can expect a chick!
3. Dance, Dance, Dance!
If you’ve never seen a chicken do his shuffle dance, you are missing out. It is a sight to behold. The shuffle dance consists of the rooster dropping one wing while taking short little steps in front of a hen to get her attention. This dance is not just for the rooster to woo his hens. He also does this to establish his dominance against the hens and other roosters. If you have a close bond with your flock, especially your rooster, he might even start dancing for you!
4. Order and Harmony
Another reason to keep a rooster is that the rooster of the flock acts as the head of the family and will not only guide your hens but will keep order between them and maintain the hierarchy. The entire flock will fall under the rooster’s control and follow his lead. The rooster will take the role of protecting the weaker hens and breaking up fights. This can help prevent hens from bullying each other and create harmony between every chicken. In nature, a flock has one alpha male and around ten hens. This keeps the size of the flock manageable for the rooster and helps him provide adequate protection for his ladies.
5. Flock Diversity
There is a certain beauty to a rooster’s appearance. Whether you have a pitch-black Australorp, or a black and white marbled Plymouth Rock, having a rooster will give a new and more attractive look to your flock. This is especially true for larger roosters because they grow into the magnificent creatures they are.
6. Digging for Treasure
Unfortunately for you, your rooster will not dig up lost treasure, but he will find treats and such for his ladies. This interaction can be fun to watch especially if you let your flock free-range and explore. Your rooster will have a keen eye to find something special to give his ladies. On top of that, being the chivalrous gentleman your rooster is, he will not touch the treat until everyone has had their fill, even if it means he doesn’t get to indulge.
7. Crowing
Some people can’t stand the noise of crowing, even if it doesn’t happen that often. On the other hand, people love their rooster crowing. It acts as nature’s alarm clock and it’s a joy to see your rooster interacting with his flock and being vocal. Now if you’re not a fan of crowing, there is nothing we can say or do to convince you otherwise, so this reason is more for the people who like to hear roosters crowing.
8. Happier Hens
If this wasn’t obvious from the other reasons, the sense of order, safety, and receiving special attention from the rooster will lead to happier hens. Happier hens lead to a happier flock and a happier flock leads to a happier you. If you own and overlook a lot of chickens, a rooster makes your life easier by watching over them and governing them. The hens experience a state of order and liberty that they didn’t have before. Without a rooster, the most aggressive and dominant hen would usually take over and be a bully. With a rooster, everyone, even the weaker members of the flock, can rest easy.
9. Feed Me More
To truly not be wasteful, you can use your roosters to increase your flock and use some chickens for their meat. As you know from the previous reasons, roosters plus hens equal chicks. Having this steady and natural way of increasing the numbers in your flock allows you to use more of those chickens for their juicy and delicious meat. For example, 2 chickens per week equate to roughly 20 to 35 chickens in your flock. Having these chicks cycle with the chickens you eat is a great way to save money on meat!
Having a successful chicken farm is one of the best economic decisions you can make. They are a safe and sound investment. By adding a rooster to the mix, the returns are that much greater.
How to Choose the Best Chicken Coops for Your Chickens
Giving your chickens a stress-free and safe home results in a more relaxed flock. To have the most effective and happy chickens, you should first research coops. Depending on the size of your flock and the breeds of your chickens, the size of the coop you need can vary.
The Hen House Collection provides Amish-built, quality, hand-crafted chicken coops and the option for a chicken coop and run for the professional and aspiring chicken farmer. If you have any more questions on how to get started with your chicken coop, you can contact us for thorough help to begin your journey. If you want to know more about chickens and how a coop can be a huge benefit, visit our blog and learn more!
