Many chicken owners dread the possibility of one of their precious baby chicks growing up to be an aggressive rooster. However, not all roosters are cause for concern. Roosters can be fun, friendly, protective, and a great addition to any backyard flock!
Chickens are fun to watch, and even though roosters tend to be less people-friendly than hens, some of them can be docile and friendly. This is especially true if they have been handled and picked up, starting when they are young chicks.
And when you want to wind down and relax, a chicken or rooster will be right there by your side, ready to be petted and cuddled, and they will even affectionately preen you back!
A protective rooster will also approach predators (and often people), and pretend to peck around while keeping his eye trained on suspicious activity. Depending on his size and temperament, a protective rooster will also fend off attackers or sacrifice himself for the flock.
Many roosters have very individual personalities and enjoy attention from caretakers! If your rooster really likes you, he just might dance for you! Make sure your rooster and his hens have plenty of space of their own. Crowding a rooster may make him feel threatened and cause unwanted displays of aggression.
Backyard poultry and waterfowl do not have teeth, but their bills and beaks can still cause a lot of damage if they bite you. Germs can spread from poultry bites, pecks, and scratches, even when the wound does not seem deep or serious. Avoid bites and scratches from your backyard poultry or waterfowl.
Chickens will happily lay eggs without a rooster, but a rooster does help keep peace among the hens. A rooster also takes on the task of alerting the hens when a predator its about.
With no hens to try to impress or fight over, a peaceful living situation is more likely. As with all flock configurations, there will be a pecking order, and someone will be at the bottom.
Crowing: Noise Pollution
While crowing may be considered a benefit of keeping a rooster, it can also be considered an annoying feature- especially to your neighbors. Roosters will not only crow early in the morning, but they also crow all throughout the day.
The rooster lowers his head and hops or dances around while staring at you. He starts running after your heels as you walk away. He flaps his wings for no apparent reason and tries to make himself appear larger. The feathers around his neck stand up.
Do you ever look your feathered friends in the eye and wonder if you mean as much to them as they mean to you? Chances are, you probably mean a lot more to them than they could ever say! Chickens can bond with humans just like any other pet, especially if you're actively showing them how much you care!
They read body language very well, and will use it to their advantage. If they perceive you as weak and afraid, they are going to be much more likely to attack. This is because of the way roosters operate, they are trying to be “top dog” and maintain their position in the flock.
Silkie roosters are known to have very docile temperaments and friendly, calm personalities. They adapt well to confinement and would be a good fit for small backyard flocks. Silkie roosters (and hens) are not very cold hardy due to their unique feather type that does not trap heat well.
Roosters will settle down somewhat after a few months, because they'll have grown more used to the hormonal rush!
Many roosters can co-exsist peacefully in one pen as long as there are no hens to fight over. Don't separate the boys from each other or they might forget that they know each other and start fighting when they are re-introduced. That would guarantee you would need to re-home one of them.
With no hens to compete for, multiple roosters often live together in relative peace. 4. Raise them together in your flock. Roosters who are raised together establish a pecking order between them as they are growing up.
In general, we can opt for a rooster to hen ratio of 1 to 10 or 1 to 12, that is, maintain one rooster for every 10 to 12 hens (in the case of heavy breeds we can go down to 1 male for 5 females). This will most likely result in a hen house that tends to be quiet with no particular cause for wariness.
The rooster dance is a jig a rooster performs for his hen before mating. He might also dance to keep his hen in line or show another rooster that this is his lady. During the dance, the roo thrusts his wing outward and shuffles quickly around his hen.
They Will Protect Your Hens
This is especially helpful if you have free-range chickens. Roosters will alert the hens when there is a predator nearby, try to herd all the hens into one area, and they will even fight off threats like foxes or dogs.
The hen will crouch (dip her head and body) to indicate receptiveness to the male. The rooster will then mount the hen and grab her comb, neck feathers, or the skin on the back of her head or neck to help hold onto the hen's back.
It might be directed at another rooster in the flock, or even the keeper themselves. If done to the keeper, it's a sign they perceive a challenge or feel the keeper stepped out of line in some way, often by taking on a role the rooster feels should be his.
At some point, rooster will start to follow you around like a dog. He may tug at you pantleg for treats or attention. Pick him up, patt him on his shoulders and tell him how handsome he is and then set him down.