It was never our intention to have a rooster in our flock, but things happen. This year was the first time we ordered from a hatchery. We’ve always understood that even when buying chicks locally there’s always a 90% chance we’d end up with a rooster. We’ve raised up about forty chicks over the years. This is the first time the 10% ended up male. We made the shocking discovery earlier this week when my sister and brother-in-law drove up for a short visit. In a conversation about the differences between egg-layers and meat chickens, I glanced into the run to show the variation in sizes among our flock to make a point about dual purpose breeds. One of our Lavender Orpingtons proudly strutted along the fenced area and hopped upon a wooden platform inside. Its broad chest protruded forward and light-colored feathers arched atop the rest. Our newest editions are now five months old. I hadn’t been out to the coop all week, so this new vision took me by surprise! A rooster. What in the world are we going to do with a rooster? We had a family meeting to discuss the new discovery and figure out what to do. We keep chickens for the eggs, so we never really considered what we’d do if we actually ended up with a rooster. We live in a suburban community with large lots on the outskirts of a rural town. There are approximately five houses on our street, so there are no concrete rules or ordinances about how many chickens you can keep or whether or not you can have roosters. We’ve heard roosters in the neighborhood at one time or another, and know of other families who keep ducks, horses and other livestock. We had just never considered having a rooster of our own... until now. So we discussed it, but I don’t think we came to a conclusion. Writing helps me process, so I hope that by the end of the post I will have come to a logical conclusion or will at least get some good feedback to share. Here are the pros of adding a rooster to your flock. 1. PROTECTION One of the top reasons people keep roosters is to protect the flock. Chickens are not the most equipped nor the wisest animals, so they fall prey to a number of land and aerial predators. Some may be aware that we lost seven from our original flock just days before getting our first eggs. We definitely understand the threats predators bring to your farm, no matter what animals you keep. Having a rooster around adds a layer of protection that hens just can’t muster on their own. Roosters alert the flock when hawks, foxes or other predators approach the area. They will also fight. Roosters develop spurs on their legs as they mature. They use these spurs to fight off attackers. Hens don’t have this protective feature. When we first began our chicken journey, we allowed the flock to free-range quite a bit. They roamed the yard and the outskirts of the surrounding wood. Since then, we’ve noticed a huge increase in the number of hawks circling the air, and they come around more frequently. Our home is adjacent to a wooded lot. Foxes have been spotted just beyond the property line in daylight while we were outside tending to the garden or even supervising the flock. These cunning visitors are the primary reason we don’t free-range as we used to. A rooster would definitely ease our apprehensions. 2. LEADERSHIP If you know anything about chickens, you know that the pecking order is a real thing and can change with each new addition. As hens try to establish themselves as the leader of the flock, there can be brutal fighting, pecking and gruesome injuries. We once had a pullet suffer from wryneck for nearly two months, because we had an extremely aggressive hen who bullied the others. Roosters establish themselves as the leader of the flock and eliminate the fighting that would exist otherwise. As the protector, they discourage behavior that would result in any of the hens being hurt unnecessarily. In the five years we’ve kept chickens, we’ve introduced newcomers at least four times. A few times we’ve considered freezer camp for one chicken we’ve deemed the bully of the flock. She chases the others- even the hens that are older, pecks their heads or feet, refuses to allow them to eat until she’s fully satisfied and deliberately pushes them from the roost. With transition of the newest flock members there was a little bickering the first few days, but it didn't last very long. And at this point, there is very little, if any, bullying going on at all. They operate as one flock. I believe it is due to the presence of the rooster. 3. FREE CHICKS
Who doesn’t love brand new chicks? The incessant chirping and flitting around kicking up wood chips is a universal symbol of spring and the renewing of life. Typically, farms add new chicks to the flock to ensure that there is strong egg production year-round or to replenish the flock knowing that the oldest birds will be retired and likely turned into soup at some point. Hens over two-years-old tend to slow down egg production quite a bit which is not cost-effective if your goal is to cut back on your grocery bill or use fresh eggs as a source of income. If you do plan to add to your flock each year, a rooster provides a definite route to score free chicks in the spring. This could save money; depending upon the breed, chicks may cost anywhere from $6 to $20. Rare breeds such as the purebred Amaracauna can cost even $30 each or Ayam Cemani, the notable black chicken, can easily cost $75-$100 for one chick! Investing in your rooster of choice could save you the time it takes to search for the chicks you want to add to your flock and the money you would likely spend. 4. RARE BREED Lavender Orpingtons are considered a rare variety. There aren’t any local farms or feed stores carrying them in our area. Orpingtons are generally plump, fluffy birds with a docile temperament that make them great for families with children. The breed includes Black, White, Blue and Buff colors. Buff Orpingtons, the most common of the breed, are very popular and are considered the “golden retrievers” of the chicken world. It is not uncommon to find them in backyard flocks as they are known to lay between 175 and 200 large, brown eggs per year. However, the Lavender Orpington is a little more difficult to find. Although it is not recognized yet as an official breed, they have been around since the early 1990’s and are known to breed true. For their temperament, beauty and uniqueness, keeping these chickens around would definitely be beneficial. So, if your plan is to breed rare birds, investing in hardy stock from a reputable breeder would certainly pave the way for you to add some variety to your flock and maybe even someone else's. 5. TEMPERAMENT The final reason we may be willing to keep this particular rooster is because of its temperament. We’ve heard many horror stories about aggressive roosters attacking their owners. In fact, just last year my brother acquired a free rooster which turned out to be a pure deviant. It chased him a few times and refused to allow visitors to walk into the yard. That rooster even stalked my brother, refusing to allow him to leave his own home for one full day! Can you believe? The nerve of this...mere chicken. You would think he was in charge. My brother finally determined that the only way he would enjoy the peace of his home was to lock the rooster in a cage to tame him. I would venture to say my brother was afraid of the rooster, although I know he would never admit it. The rooster was just that mean. At any rate, Orpingtons are known to be a gentle breed. So far, we have not had any negative interactions with the bird before or after discovering he was an imposter. But you can rest assured that if he does decide he wants to rule this house he will find himself nicely browned in the roasting pan.
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AuthorI'm a wife, mother, daughter, educator, writer and hobby farmer. Welcome to my world of simply living. Archives
December 2023
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