The full form of a Rooster is a “Roosting bird”. They are known as the head of the flock. A good number of roosters are pretty aggressive. They usually protect a chicken coop from predators and help hens to produce baby chicks.
Does a chicken coop need a rooster? It is not mandatory to keep a male domestic fowl in a flock house as hens can lay eggs without roosters and produce baby chicks with the help of a small flock. However, roosters provide additional benefits for a coop.
Is It Mandatory To Keep A Rooster In A Chicken Coop?
Keeping a rooster in a flock home is not mandatory. Chickens don’t need the help of roosters to lay eggs.
In addition, hens don’t need to mate with this male domestic fowl. You can use small flocks as an alternative option.
Your beautiful ladies will be fully content. If your chicken coop has a massive number of hens, keep several male breeds to make all females happy.
Moreover, roosters may not be allowed to be raised in some states or locations. After all, these breeds are pretty aggressive and prone to fight other roosters.
Sometimes, they harm hens while forcibly mating with them. Also, these male domestic fowls are pretty noisy. You will have a hard time collecting fresh eggs too.
Why Keep A Rooster In A Chicken Coop?
Having a rooster in a chicken coop offers several benefits.
If your area has no restrictions, and your neighbor will not complain about your roosters, here is why you should keep a rooster in a chicken coop.
Reason 1: A Reliable Protector
Roosters have a strong instinct to protect chickens from their area. He plays the guardian role.
They continuously track the surrounding environment. He always keeps watching the sky and the ground.
When any predator visits, this male domestic fowl will notify other flocks through a distinctive sound.
Having a rooster in a free-range area is more effective. He can safeguard hens and small chickens from hawks and other dangerous predators.
These aggressive caretakers will try their best to protect their territory. They will start showing their aggressiveness if any suspicious activity.
Reason 2: Better Egg Fertilization
Hens can produce baby chicks with the help of small flocks. But if you prefer better-quality egg fertilization, roosters are the best choice. We’ve written a detailed article on Fertile vs Non-Fertile eggs.
Compared to other breeds, roosters’ sperm quality is better. Eggs are started to fertilize after the mating session.
It takes at least 27 hours to lay the egg once the Rooster delivers its sperm into the hen’s oviduct.
The germinal disc combines both the hen DNA and Rooster DNA. Then, it becomes a fertilized seed. Within five hours, the egg starts to develop slowly.
A rooster can help a chicken fertilize up to 10 to 12 eggs. Female chickens keep laying eggs for three to four weeks.
Reason 3: The Exciting Dance!
Have you seen the cute little dance of roosters? We bet it looks so exciting and a treat to watch!
And you know what their dance is called? It is “Tidbitting.”
But you must be wondering why these male domestic fowls dance, right? Surprisingly, they dance to show both positive and negative emotions.
Roosters mainly dance to entertain hens and attract them.
Now, you might be wondering how these male chickens dance, right?
They move their head up and down, drop their wing stiffly toward the ground, and stomp their feet.
Reason 4: A Harmonious Environment!
In a chicken coop, both aggressive and calm breeds live. Unfortunately, gentle flocks sometimes fear living peacefully.
They always feel unrest. Some of them don’t even sleep properly at night, fearing the attack of aggressive birds.
Plus, some aggressive female chickens may regularly fight against each other to claim their territory.
It creates an imbalanced environment and lacks a harmonious environment. Roosters can be a perfect solution to address this problem.
Even the strongest chickens will be under the control of a rooster. They will protect weaker ones and let me wander, eat, and sleep peacefully.
Reason 5: A Diversification Atmosphere!
Isn’t it looking boring to have similar sizes and designs of chickens? Roosters add diversification.
Roosters are larger than females. Breeds like Jersey Giant, Brahma chickens, Cochin Chickens, etc., are pretty big.
If you are a fan of the best-looking roosters, you can choose Barbu D’Uccle, Welsummer, Australorp, Langshan, Faverolles, and Cochin.
Their feathers have different shades and colors, like white, black, and greenish-black.
It looks impressive to have such unique creatures in a chicken coop!
Reason 6: The Loud And Incessant Crowing!
Have you noticed the loud and incessant crowing “cock-a-doodle-doo” in the early morning?
This sound is familiar to you if you have ever visited any rural area.
Village people take them as an internal clock. Roosters start making this sound after waking in the early morning.
Some people can’t tolerate Rooster’s crowing, while others love it. But you must be wondering why they crow, right?
Roosters make this sound to notify others about this presence and give an alarm to predators. It can also be a communication indication of mating, security, and various things.
Reason 7: Enjoyment of Fresh Chickens
Roosters are more assertive and aggressive than other sorts of male chickens. They regularly mate with hens and help to produce eggs and hatch baby chicks.
One Rooster can handle seven to ten chickens. However, avoid keeping more than three or four roosters in a chicken coop.
It will cause regular fighting issues. If you have too many hens, build several flock houses and maintain a good ratio of roosters depending on the hen numbers.
The main advantage of having a Rooster is that female chickens can continuously produce eggs and baby chicks.
As a result, you can eat some of the adult chickens if you prefer. This helps you enjoy fresh meat from your chicken coop.
Reason 8: Roosters Ring the Dinner Bell
We love to share tasty meals with our families and friends, as do roosters.
Apart from safeguarding hens, these territorial boys love to feed their female friends natural items that they find while exploring the outside environment.
These male domestic fowls will keep digging for tasty treats here and there.
If he finds any bugs, butterflies, flies, crickets, worms, or tiny lizards, he will notify the hens and share the meal will hens and baby chicks.
What To Consider When Adding A Rooster In A Chicken House?
Can you randomly add any rooster to your chicken coop? Yes, you can! But it won’t fulfill your expectations.
Creating a favorable environment before introducing a new rooster is essential. It will ensure a balanced environment and better growth of flocks.
Introduce Similar Aged Rooster
If your chicken coop already has a rooster, make sure the new one has a similar age and size. It allows them to feel at ease as they take others in their category.
Otherwise, it will create an imbalanced environment.
Roosters have a natural tendency to make a dominant attitude in their territory.
If the Rooster is too aggressive, you may see extreme fights between them.
Keep The Rooster Separately Initially
A rooster takes time to adjust to a new chicken coop environment.
Keep it separate for the first few days, especially at night. It may cause fights as it tries to dominate others.
You can make a fencing area to separate it from other chickens.
Have patient. Let it mix with others slowly during the daytime and understand the nature of other flocks.
Once several weeks pass and you don’t see any fighting issues, keep them with other chickens.
Add A Rooster Room For Roosters
Some roosters are highly aggressive. They start fighting with each other inside the chicken coop.
In such a case, building a separate rooster room is best. The aggressive male chicken will rest and sleep here at night.
Plus, you can utilize this room for injured or bullied flocks. This allows you to maintain a harmonious environment.
Final Thoughts
Growing chickens in your backyard can be enjoyable and beneficial. But maintaining a harmonious environment is the key.
You want to ensure the optimal healthy atmosphere for your flocks. Knowing the answer to the question, “Does a chicken coop need a rooster?” is essential.
Make sure you carefully add a healthy and beautiful rooster in your flock house to help flocks produce more eggs and hatch baby chicks.
More importantly, it helps you to create a better ecosystem to protect chickens from predators and avoid a fight with other chickens.
