9 Reasons To Keep A Rooster - Backyard Chicken Coops

1. Guard… Roosters?

Believe it or not, roosters are very protective. They act as the guardian of their flock, making sure that everything is running smoothly. Since chickens have many predators, a rooster will constantly be alert, vigilantly watching the ground and sky. And they are great at their job, if they spot something that seems off or worries them, they immediately sound the alarm, and guide the hens and chicks into a safe place. If the predator gets too close, the rooster will not back down and hide, they will fight to the death. This is especially true if you have chicks in your flock.

2. Fertilized Eggs

If you want to keep growing your flock and want cute baby chicks running around in your backyard, a rooster is crucial. Roosters fertilize the eggs of your hens. This does not mean that the eggs your hens produce from now will be inedible. If you keep collecting your eggs every day, nothing will happen, you won’t find a baby chick while cooking. This does mean that if you have broody hens, a rooster, and skip collection, you can expect a chick!

3. Dance, Dance, Dance!

If you’ve never seen a chicken do its shuffle dance, you are missing out. It is a sight to behold. The shuffle dance consists of the rooster ​​dropping one wing while taking short, little steps in front of a hen to get her attention. This dance is not just for the rooster to woo his hens. He also does this to establish his dominance against the hens and other roosters. If you have a close bond with your flock, especially your rooster, he might even start dancing for you!

4. Order and Harmony

Another reason to keep a rooster is that the rooster of the flock acts as the head of the family and will not only guide your hens but will keep order between them and maintain the hierarchy. The entire flock will fall under the rooster’s control and follow his lead. The rooster will take the role of protecting the weaker hens and breaking up fights. This can help prevent hens from bullying each other and create harmony between every chicken. In nature, a flock has one alpha male and around ten hens. This keeps the size of the flock manageable for the rooster and helps him provide adequate protection for his ladies.

5. Flock Diversity

There is a certain beauty to a rooster’s appearance. Whether you have a pitch-black Australorp or a black and white marbled Plymouth Rock, having a rooster will give a new and more attractive look to your flock. This is especially true for larger roosters because they grow into the magnificent creatures they are. 

6. Digging for Treasure

Unfortunately for you, your rooster will not dig up lost treasure, but he will find treats and such for his ladies. This interaction can be fun to watch, especially if you let your flock free-range and explore. Your rooster will have a keen eye to find something special to give his ladies. On top of that, being the chivalrous gentleman your rooster is, he will not touch the treat until everyone has had their fill, even if it means he doesn’t get to indulge.

7. Crowing

Some people can’t stand the noise of crowing, even if it doesn’t happen that often. On the other hand, people love their rooster crowing. It acts as nature’s alarm clock, and it’s a joy to see your rooster interacting with his flock and being vocal. Now, if you’re not a fan of crowing, there is nothing we can say or do to convince you otherwise, so this reason is more for the people who like to hear roosters crowing. 

8. Happier Hens

If this wasn’t obvious from the other reasons, the sense of order, safety, and receiving special attention from the rooster will lead to happier hens. Happier hens lead to a happier flock and a happier flock leads to a happier you. If you own and oversee a lot of chickens, a rooster makes your life easier by watching over them and governing them. The hens experience a state of order and liberty that they didn’t have before. Without a rooster, the most aggressive and dominant hen would usually take over and be a bully. With a rooster, everyone, even the weaker members of the flock, can rest easy. 

9. Feed Me More

To truly not be wasteful, you can use your roosters to increase your flock and use some chickens for their meat. As you know from the previous reasons, roosters plus hens equal chicks. Having this steady and natural way of increasing the numbers in your flock allows you to use more of those chickens for their juicy and delicious meat. For example, 2 chickens per week equate to roughly 20 to 35 chickens in your flock. Having these chicks cycle with the chickens you eat is a great way to save money on meat!