Do you know how to keep a rooster in with laying hens? If yes, then very good, but if you don’t know then you should know how to keep a rooster in with laying hens. Because keeping a rooster in with the laying hens is very important if you want to produce fertilized eggs for hatching. Your hens will lay eggs without rooster, but those eggs will not be fertile. So, it is very important to have a rooster inside with your laying hens.
Keeping roosters inside the chicken coop with your laying hens is important if you want to produce fertile eggs and produce chicks by your own. But you don’t need to have a rooster in your flock for getting your hens to lay eggs. Keeping one or few roosters in your flock have some advantages.
Roosters become very protective and they are very helpful for keeping your flock free from predators. They also make interesting additions to your home flock. A strutting and crowing rooster add variety to your flock and gives your hens a sense of order and structure.
With a rooster around your flock, your hens will live happily and they will lay fertile eggs. Roosters are also good pets. However, learn more about how to keep a rooster in with laying hens.
How to Keep A Rooster in With Laying Hens
Here we are describing the steps of keeping a rooster inside, with your laying hens. Generally roosters become more aggressive than your laying hens.
And he may try to escape from the coop if he find anything outside the coop that is trying to harm, disturb or steal his hens. So reinforce your chicken coop perfectly, before introducing a rooster with your existing flock.
Cover the holes or gaps of the fence with extra chicken wire if there any. For preventing an escape, fill in the holes at the bottom of the fence with clean dirt.
Keep some extra roosting facility inside your chicken coop. Generally chickens roost and sleep off the ground. But your roosters should have their own perch. Usually roosters are larger and weights more than your hens.
So ensure a strong and sturdy roosting place for them that can support his size and weight. They prefer to roost in higher place. Make the roosting with strong materials.
You can also try to keep your rooster in a separate small sized wire cage. Keep the cage in the middle of the coop. Leave the rooster in the cage for about an hour or until your laying hens no longer seem curious.
Doing this will help your birds to acclimate themselves to each other and avoiding unwanted squabbling.
Allow the rooster for coming out at his own pace by opening the cage. After opening the cage, some roosters start exploring and charge out. On the other hand other roosters wait for his hens to come to him and investigate.
Usually a little pecking and squawking is normal. However, remove the rooster and reintroduce him the next day or after several days if your hens are drawing blood.
Always allow the rooster to fully mingle with your laying hens. By nature, roosters take charge of the flock and all hens happily follow him and cluster around him while they eat or explore the coop and your yard.
But this may not happen if something goes wrong. For example, if your laying hens don’t like the rooster or if the rooster become very aggressive. In this situation, remove the rooster from your hens and replace another good one.
Always keep tasty and nutritious food inside the chicken coop for your roosters and laying hens. Try to make your rooster understand that tasty food, lots of hens and other facilities are available for him inside the chicken coop. Thus you can make your rooster interested in hens and staying inside the coop.
However, keeping a rooster inside the chicken coop with your laying hens is not so tough. It’s simple. Just follow the steps mentioned above. Have fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
People ask many questions about how to keep a rooster in with laying hens. Here we are trying to list the most common questions about how to keep a rooster in with laying hens, and trying to answer them. Hope you will find your answer. Don’t hesitate to ask us if you have more questions.
Is it good to keep a rooster with laying hens?
Yes, you can keep a rooster with your laying hens. Although, having a rooster in the flock has no function in eggs production. Your hens will continue laying eggs without roosters. But they will lay unfertilized eggs if you don’t have a rooster with your hens. So, keep a rooster in your flock if you want to produce fertile eggs for hatching.
How do you keep roosters from killing chickens?
Feed them good quality food and keep enough hens per rooster. Doing this will help the rooster to behave well.
Can a rooster break a hens back?
In the case of an overeager rooster who is a little too affectionate on his hens, the spurs can injure her back from excessive treading.
Does having a rooster affect eggs?
No, not at all! Roosters have no function in eggs production. Your hens will lay eggs as usual with or without rooster. You only need to have a rooster in your flock if you want to produce fertile eggs for hatching.
How many hens do you need for a rooster?
Having around or up to 10 hens per rooster will be very good.
What to expect when introducing a rooster to hens?
The new rooster will want to meet the new hens and the hens will be pecking to establish order as soon as you put the new rooster with your existing hens.
How long does it take for a rooster to mate with a hen?
It can range from a once off meeting to around 3-7 days on average.
What are the benefits of keeping a rooster with hens?
Having a rooster with your hens has numerous benefits, such as:
- The roosters will fertilize the eggs, and you will be able to hatch the eggs.
- They will protect your flock.
- Having a rooster in the flock will help to keep the peace among the hens.
How long does a chicken stay fertile after being with a rooster?
Once a hen mates with a rooster, they can actually lay fertilized chicken eggs for up to 3 – 4 weeks.
I have a rooster and only 3 hens left. He is tearing the feathers off their backs! I cannot find anyone to take the rooster and it is illegal to kill them on my property, not that I would want to, but I am at a loss…they are also loosing a lot of weight!
Check Facebook groups in your area for chickens and/or homesteading. Ask if anyone will take a rooster. If your chickens are a particular breed, a local breeder might be interested in a new rooster for diversifying genetics. Roosters usually need to be with over 5 hens. For a more aggressive rooster, 10-12 hens and a large pen might be necessary to spread his attention. If you’re able to catch him, you could try keeping him in a large dog crate (at 42 inches). You can put a roofing panel in top and move it to fresh grass every day until he finds a new home.