Chickens Top 6 Reasons for Keeping a Rooster in Your Flock

Many people only ever hear of the disadvantages and problems a rooster can cause especially in an urban environment where loud noises like crowing can be a worry; but, there are several reasons why keeping a rooster is a good idea if local council laws in your area permit.

1. Protection - Roosters are very protective of their flock (remember those old cartoons with the big rooster beating up the naughty cat or dog trying to get the hens) well, it's not so dramatic as that, however a rooster can be quite aggressive when riled up.

Recently, our rooster lost a good chunk of his tail feathers whilst attacking a large goanna trying to steal some eggs. If you live in an area with birds of prey and you free-range your flock roosters are extremely handy at spotting attack from the air and will warn the flock and even find a place hide everyone (like back in the coop) until the threat is over.

If you're worried about your rooster being aggressive towards you or other family members, it does help greatly if you raise your rooster yourself from chick. That way, your rooster will more likely be human friendly and won't pose a problem or scare the kids. Our current rooster is very family friendly - he's a good boy who does a top job protecting the flock without terrifying the family during egg collection.

Having said that, roosters generally aren't "dangerous" and the spurs on their feet or wing spikes may cause a small scratch at worse on a person if it really got to that stage and a rooster had a free shot. Realistically, roosters are no match for a human and won't attack front on and if they do it's usually from behind and merely a kick with a swoosh from the wings to give a nice fright but that's about it...

2. Food gathering - Roosters inherently look to find food for the flock and this is particularly evident in a free-ranging environment where the area is left to grow a little wild with a good variety of plants.

On our property, we have a species of native clumping grass which produces a seed head full of long thorns and at the base of these thorns small berries are formed. The hens love the berries but can't reach the fruit; however, the rooster has a larger beak and is able to pick the berries out from between the thorns and then throw them on the ground for the hens to get.

It seems to me that besides protection the other main job of a rooster is finding food and he rarely eats first, in fact, he will often go without and happily call the hens over with his high pitched excited clucking whenever he finds a worm or something good to eat letting the girls have their fill before he gets a turn.

3. Discipline - Pecking order within a flock of hens is important and a hen can remember her place in a flock of a hundred other birds. Even so, fights do happen and a rooster is the perfect mediator to quell the tempers when the girls get angry. If there's a fight he will jump between the offending parties and growl keeping them separated and ensuring both know not to continue.

If a hen steps out of place or goes somewhere not approved the rooster will dance in a circle around her shuffling his feet and growling his disapproval. If she still doesn't pay attention then he will peck or bully her until she submits but it doesn't often come to that.

4. Teaching - Roosters are good fathers and they do pay attention to new hatchlings often showing them where to safely go and what to eat. I've seen our rooster oversee the hen and her clutch and be quite gentle with the chicks.

If there's a new gadget or feeder introduced to the pen the rooster is often the first one to inspect it and figure out how it works then excitedly show the hens.

5. Breeding - Naturally, you can't make chicks without a rooster to fertilise those eggs so if you intend to refresh your layers and turn some of those eggs into new stock then you'll need a good healthy boy around to service the hens.

6. Beauty - Roosters are beautiful to look at and it's totally acceptable to keep them just for aesthetics alone as their whisky tail feathers and shiny, flashy colours are amazing.

I love looking at all the pretty boy roosters at the show poultry pavilion standing proudly in the their cages as the people walk past - what a magnificent bird!

Yep, a rooster is true gentleman of the chicken world and that's my 6 reasons why you should keep a rooster in your flock.
About author
Mark
Own a small hobby farm acreage in a subtropical climate. Love food gardening, keeping poultry, and all things about DIY/self-sufficiency! Editor of blog www.selfsufficientme.com :)

Latest reviews

Pros: Very informative
Cons: None!
I honestly thought roosters were just around to make chicks and be mean. I had no idea they do so much more. Great info!
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Reactions: krpga60
Pros: good info for chicken lovers
Cons: none
My parents kept chickens when I was a little girl. I used to collect the eggs every day. My dad would also breed miniature chickens. The love for chickens has never left me. Since getting our garden on a dairy farm, we are still not able to keep chickens for the sake of the distance getting to the garden, but we enjoy the antics of the farmer's chickens every day. They dust bath in our tomato polly tunnel, and they are so cute.

I used to have the female chickens ride with me in my basket on the bike when I was little. The rooster (Oscar) did not like this and til this day I still have the scar on my thigh as evidence. The rooster was very much in control of his girls! Very nice article!
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Reactions: krpga60
Pros: Lots of great reasons to keep birds. Well thought out
Cons: Can’t think of one
Excellent inside into flock management. Love roosters myself. I thin’ that a rooster can earn his keep.
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Comments

Good article Mark,
I agree with everything except the bit about the spurs only scratching. We tipped the spurs of our rooster (about 3 mm) with a dog nail clipper because he bailed my mate up one day (he hates my mate for some reason) and kicked his foot which was outstretched. The spur went through the leather on his Blundstone boots and a little way into his foot. Everything else in the article is spot on though and really well written.
Thanks
 
Good article Mark,
I agree with everything except the bit about the spurs only scratching. We tipped the spurs of our rooster (about 3 mm) with a dog nail clipper because he bailed my mate up one day (he hates my mate for some reason) and kicked his foot which was outstretched. The spur went through the leather on his Blundstone boots and a little way into his foot. Everything else in the article is spot on though and really well written.
Thanks
Thanks B1 :) That's very interesting about your rooster's spurs and I have heard of people trimming their birds so I suppose it must be necessary for some! Maybe this point will generate more discussion with others telling their stories. Cheers for commenting!
 
Hi Mark, I've seen your blog and its great! Very informative and interesting to read. I would like to suggest though, have you ever thought of doing capon or simply, chicken/ rooster castration?
 
Hi Mark, I've seen your blog and its great! Very informative and interesting to read. I would like to suggest though, have you ever thought of doing capon or simply, chicken/ rooster castration?
No I've never considered rooster castration but we only keep one rooster anyway and eat the others...
 
Good article Mark,
I agree with everything except the bit about the spurs only scratching. We tipped the spurs of our rooster (about 3 mm) with a dog nail clipper because he bailed my mate up one day (he hates my mate for some reason) and kicked his foot which was outstretched. The spur went through the leather on his Blundstone boots and a little way into his foot. Everything else in the article is spot on though and really well written.
Thanks
All good reasons to keep a rooster Mark.
As well as the obvious necessity for breeding I particularly like the way they keep peace in the flock which is very handy when introducing new pullets to the flock.
To trim the spurs on mine I catch them at night. One of those head mounted torches is handy here. I then lop off about the last third of the spur with a fine bladed hacksaw. It's all quick and easy to do.
 
Good article Mark,
I agree with everything except the bit about the spurs only scratching. We tipped the spurs of our rooster (about 3 mm) with a dog nail clipper because he bailed my mate up one day (he hates my mate for some reason) and kicked his foot which was outstretched. The spur went through the leather on his Blundstone boots and a little way into his foot. Everything else in the article is spot on though and really well written.
Thanks
Great tip on trimming spurs Codger. I've never trimmed mine but there will probably come a day when I'll have a rooster that needs doing! Cheers :)
 
Mark, there's no way I can have chickens (I live in the suburbs and have a bunch of cats), but this article makes me want them desperately. The way you describe their antics makes it easy to imagine what they must look like.

I'll have to settle for cat-watching. I love all the little "cat things" they do throughout the day, things that only cats do that you have to be paying attention to notice, and it gives me tremendous enjoyment. The way they communicate - with us and with each other - is really quite sophisticated.

What a treat it must be to see a rooster scratch, shuffle, and growl around a hen trying to discipline her.
 
I like to have a rooster about the place but, I once had a fine large cockerel who only have the merest hint of spurs. The amount of lacerations inflicted on the poor hens ment he had to go. I have just got rid of another problem rooster. This little bugger would attack as soon as I entered the run. Not a problem of course but he would herd his girls up in a corner and would then proceed to charge up and down screaming his head off. He would caused pandemonium around the run. His antics would cause the hens to panic at the sight of me. They were calm before he came on the scene. I only write this as a caution. I have had many good old mates in the past but roosters are very much individuals. Like us.
 
We have a huge big rooster named Buzz. We raised him from an egg and he was friendly for ages. We could pick him up and he was almost cuddly. All at once he started attacking us. He runs up behind and belts us on the back of the thigh. We have been left with huge bruises more from the force of his weight than his spurs.
We have young children around and so we have to come to a decision as to what to do with him.
I really don't want to kill him but even when we realise he is coming for us and turn to face him he still attacks. The children are all scared of him.
 
I have 4 ISA browns hens but no Rooster. Any suggestions for a good rooster breed?
 
I want to build a house and run for some chickens this summer .Never considered a rooster. I do have hawks and eagles, so probable good idea for one. Luckily no dangerous snakes lol.
 
We have a huge big rooster named Buzz. We raised him from an egg and he was friendly for ages. We could pick him up and he was almost cuddly. All at once he started attacking us. He runs up behind and belts us on the back of the thigh. We have been left with huge bruises more from the force of his weight than his spurs.
We have young children around and so we have to come to a decision as to what to do with him.
I really don't want to kill him but even when we realise he is coming for us and turn to face him he still attacks. The children are all scared of him.
I have found that having two roosters seems to keep them from attacking people. The other rooster becomes the threat and not us. This is what I have experienced over the years. The down side is you need at least 20 hens or your hens will become battered from the completion of both roosters.
 
That’s so cool! I never knew roosters were good dads. Or that they checked things out before the hens to make sure its safe and how to use it, or reached food to give them. Sounds like a good husband, only he‘s got to keep a bunch of women happy. Not an easy job.
 
We never wanted roosters and never intended on keeping any. We got a few random chicks that were sold as barred rock, then a couple more super egg layers. Then we did our first round of cornish cross. A few months later we got chicks that were sold as red rangers that are isa browns or better, these turned out not to be straight run but all super laying pullets... we got EGGS!! so their lives were spared. A couple months later fearing potential predators we got some wyandottes, sadly we lost a couple and the remaining one turned ROO...? No!! Such a sad moment. Gold laced wyandotte roo so gorgeous, he's got a velcro collar, still tries to crow... but now we have chicks. After my husband got me a little brinsea incubator for Christmas. The full circle, the knowing we can do this. Knowing we don't have to ever stand in line for chicken for them to be out once we made it up there or to go without eggs and everything calling for an egg, as we had during the late spring and summer of 2020. Nevwr again do I have to feel the desperation as a mama not to be able to provide meals for my children or secretly skimp on my food and wait till late evening to eat as to not appear as though I had gone hungry.
Sheding the pounds and the fear now, look upon our tiny flock with sheer JOY!!! And the dread and angst my grandmother had as a child when cleaning out the chicken coop comes to mind and I meet each chore with admiration, gratitude, thankfulness and absolute joy. I AM SO grateful to my husband for going along with it all as I simply came home with chickens one day. And he has poured time and money into this hobby of mine that is pure medicine for our family's soul. Knowing my kids are learning hands on and can do this is the assurance they need to go through life with confidence, not being shrunk and pushed by fears, or depressed.
Backyard chickens or quail... do it.
 
Good article Mark,
I agree with everything except the bit about the spurs only scratching. We tipped the spurs of our rooster (about 3 mm) with a dog nail clipper because he bailed my mate up one day (he hates my mate for some reason) and kicked his foot which was outstretched. The spur went through the leather on his Blundstone boots and a little way into his foot. Everything else in the article is spot on though and really well written.
Thanks
I trim my roosters spurs but not because he is aggressive it’s more that they get that long and seem to hinder his walking once trimmed he seems happier
Probably cut about ten mm off every year
 

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