Is a rooster a freeloader

RoosterIn the past, I’ve considered roosters to be a
drain on a flock of laying hens.  Partly, the issue lay in keeping
a rooster with just a few hens in a chicken tractor
, but I also saw
no point in feeding an animal that wasn’t pulling his weight.

Since we want to become a bit more self-sufficient by raising our own
chicks, we let our hybrid rooster survive the chopping block this
year.  And, surprisingly, I’m starting to feel like he’s worth the
extra feed.  His mitigating influence was a great help when I merged three
different sets of hens together into the chicken pasture
— his
presence alone seems to keep the peace.  He also gives tidbits of
food to his ladies, making me wonder if the flock doesn’t forage better
with him present.

It’s tricky to find a rooster with just the right levels of
testosterone, one who will fertilize your eggs and keep your flock
together but won’t overmate the hens and attack passersby.  We
seem to have gotten lucky by finding one who fits the bill.

Our rooster
enjoys our homemade
chicken waterer
just as much as his harem does.

Latest Comments

  1. https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawkK43JI19hmkD0E_KUQcqMVosWVnvfdgvk November 2, 2010
  2. anna November 2, 2010

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