Pros of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock
Pro # 1 of Keeping Roosters: Fertile Hatching Eggs
Hate online hatcheries, or hatcheries in general? It can be a pain to ship hatching eggs or even live chicks around the country. With a rooster in your flock, all of your eggs have the potential to be hatching eggs!
Plus, if you’ve ever been interested in learning about animal husbandry, chickens are a great place to start. Want to make sure you know which hen laid which egg, so you can know for sure what kind of chicks are coming? Try out a trap nest front.
Pro # 2 of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock: Protection for Your Laying Hens
One of the most admirable qualities about roosters is that they will defend their ladies to the very end. They are incredibly protective, sometimes even getting aggressive with their handlers. Roosters should not be used as a foolproof predator deterrent, but they do provide an added layer of protection.
Another perk of this is that happy, stress-free hens tend to lay more eggs!
Pro # 3 of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock: Free Alarm Clock
While this could also be seen as a con (more on that later), it is nice to have a consistent alarm clock. Contrary to popular belief, roosters don’t crow at the crack of dawn. Rather, they have an internal clock they are beholden to that will cause them to crow at the same time every morning.
Cons of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock
Con # 1 of Keeping Roosters: They’re LOUD!
As explained above, roosters will crow at the same time every morning. If you’ve never heard a rooster crow, it really is quite loud. So, before you get one, you might want to check in with your neighbors. Egg bribery usually works, too!
Con # 2 of Keeping Roosters: They can get aggressive with adults and children.
Roosters are loyal protectors, maybe to a fault sometimes. Just like humans, every bird’s personality is a little bit different. So not every rooster will have this issue. It is important to be aware of the possibility, though.
Con # 3 of Keeping Roosters: Aggressive Mating Tactics
When roosters mount hens to mate, sometimes it can cause feathers to be ripped out. Hen saddles can help reduce this issue.
Continue Reading:
Best Ways to Save Money When Keeping Backyard Chickens
Pros of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock
Pro # 1 of Keeping Roosters: Fertile Hatching Eggs
Hate online hatcheries, or hatcheries in general? It can be a pain to ship hatching eggs or even live chicks around the country. With a rooster in your flock, all of your eggs have the potential to be hatching eggs!
Plus, if you’ve ever been interested in learning about animal husbandry, chickens are a great place to start. Want to make sure you know which hen laid which egg, so you can know for sure what kind of chicks are coming? Try out a trap nest front.
Pro # 2 of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock: Protection for Your Laying Hens
One of the most admirable qualities about roosters is that they will defend their ladies to the very end. They are incredibly protective, sometimes even getting aggressive with their handlers. Roosters should not be used as a foolproof predator deterrent, but they do provide an added layer of protection.
Another perk of this is that happy, stress-free hens tend to lay more eggs!
Pro # 3 of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock: Free Alarm Clock
While this could also be seen as a con (more on that later), it is nice to have a consistent alarm clock. Contrary to popular belief, roosters don’t crow at the crack of dawn. Rather, they have an internal clock they are beholden to that will cause them to crow at the same time every morning.
Cons of Keeping Roosters in Your Backyard Flock
Con # 1 of Keeping Roosters: They’re LOUD!
As explained above, roosters will crow at the same time every morning. If you’ve never heard a rooster crow, it really is quite loud. So, before you get one, you might want to check in with your neighbors. Egg bribery usually works, too!
Con # 2 of Keeping Roosters: They can get aggressive with adults and children.
Roosters are loyal protectors, maybe to a fault sometimes. Just like humans, every bird’s personality is a little bit different. So not every rooster will have this issue. It is important to be aware of the possibility, though.
Con # 3 of Keeping Roosters: Aggressive Mating Tactics
When roosters mount hens to mate, sometimes it can cause feathers to be ripped out. Hen saddles can help reduce this issue.
Continue Reading: