Roosters On The Farm

 Do you need a rooster for hen's to lay eggs? 

There is no simple answer, yes & no. The hen's lay the eggs without the help of a rooster, but in order for an egg to hatch you would need a rooster. We keep a rooster for each breed we have and we were also given some for future breeding purposes once we acquire the other hens we are looking for. A hen will still lay an egg without a rooster. 

What roosters do we currently have?

Ricky was our first Rhode Island red rooster on the farm who was given to us by my father in law. We have Bruce (Pickle Rick) who is our barred rock roo. That brings us to Bones who is our beautiful white leghorn. We also have a few roosters that are barn yard mix and rhode island red's that we have hatched out. 

Why keep a rooster?

For hatching purposes and honestly we love waking up hearing them crow. Some people absolutely hate it, but I think it's part of what makes waking up on a farm, a farm. Ultimately they replenish your flock when needed and they are around for protection. Hen's need to feel this protection in order to be a great layer for you. 

Are all roosters aggressive? 

We only have one aggressive rooster which is Ricky. The other 7 that we have seem to be friendly with people or we have just not had any issues with them at this moment and we have had them on our farm for about 6 months now. 

What are a roosters purpose on the farm? 

Protection is their biggest purpose, but they also are there to allow you to use them when things happen to your flock. Sometimes unexpectedly thing's happen and you need to intervene and hatch out some baby chicks.