Do my hens have to have a rooster?

[M3S]

Hi all, I've raised 4 chickens before. 2 handicapped meat birds I fell in love with and 2 silkies. This is my first time raising a larger number. I thought I was getting 15 hens, but SURPISE after 16 weeks find there's definitely 1 rooster. He's a beauty but not a gentleman, if you get my drift. A friend who has chickens said that if any of my hens go broody and are never allowed to hatch eggs out, that the hen will die. Do I need to keep the rooster (Ellen now Elton) for that purpose? Would my hens still be happy if he wasn't part of the flock? I'm raising them for the eggs. 5 partridge cochins, 4 Plymouth barred rock, 5 mystery breeds I'm not positive of, and Elton. I just want them to be happy and healthy. Any help would be so very appreciated!

 

[Squawkers]

You don’t need a rooster to get eggs. And your hen certainly isn’t going to die from being broody and not hatching eggs, that’s ridiculous. The hens might be happier with him there, but at the same time some roosters can be pretty mean to the hens. You don’t have to keep him if you don’t want to.

 

[Squawkers]

And welcome to BYC!!

 

[sourland]

First- your hens will not go broody and then die without a rooster. Next you/they do not need him in the flock, and may even be more settled without him if he is too aggressive. There are purposes a rooster serves - social order and warning system, but he is not absolutely necessary.

 

[AntiqueB]

I have never had a rooster (not allowed here). One hen will take over to "lead" the flock. She will call any warnings, though others can, too. Everyone will still lay eggs. No one will die!

Although I have not had roosters, those who have say that bad roosters should not be tolerated. If your guy isn't treating the hens well, do you really want to keep him?

 

[WingItRanch]

Hi there and welcome!

friend who has chickens said that if any of my hens go broody and are never allowed to hatch eggs out, that the hen will die.

First time I'm hearing this myth. No, plenty of people raise hens without a rooster. In fact, it's often recommended to not get a rooster if you're just starting out. Your hens will be perfectly happy without a rooster and if he's already showing aggression, you'll be happier without him too!

 

[AinaWGSD]

As everyone else has pointed out, you absolutely do not need a rooster for your hens to be happy and healthy.

As to the myth that if your hens go broody and aren't allowed to hatch eggs they will die, that's not true but I can see where there is a tiny grain of truth in there. Hens can, and sometimes do, die when they go broody. Brooding is hard on a hen's body. They dont eat as much when they're broody and don't get off the nest more than they have to (broody poops can be rank! imagine dozens of poops combined into one giant poop) It's why hens accumulate fat where and how they do. If a hen is not in good health when they go broody that puts even more strain on their body and could be too much. Also, some hens will brood way past the 21 days it takes for eggs to hatch if you don't break it. Their bodies can only take so much even if they are in peak health.

So yes, if a hen goes broody and sits on a nest too long (because the eggs aren't fertile) she can die. But they can do that even with a rooster present. If you don't have a rooster and a hen goes broody you can always buy fertile hatching eggs or day old chicks for her to brood. Or, if you don't want more chickens, you can break the broody (there are lots of threads here on how to break a broody ).

 

[Squawkers]

As everyone else has pointed out, you absolutely do not need a rooster for your hens to be happy and healthy.

As to the myth that if your hens go broody and aren't allowed to hatch eggs they will die, that's not true but I can see where there is a tiny grain of truth in there. Hens can, and sometimes do, die when they go broody. Brooding is hard on a hen's body. They dont eat as much when they're broody and don't get off the nest more than they have to (broody poops can be rank! imagine dozens of poops combined into one giant poop) It's why hens accumulate fat where and how they do. If a hen is not in good health when they go broody that puts even more strain on their body and could be too much. Also, some hens will brood way past the 21 days it takes for eggs to hatch if you don't break it. Their bodies can only take so much even if they are in peak health.

So yes, if a hen goes broody and sits on a nest too long (because the eggs aren't fertile) she can die. But they can do that even with a rooster present. If you don't have a rooster and a hen goes broody you can always buy fertile hatching eggs or day old chicks for her to brood. Or, if you don't want more chickens, you can break the broody (there are lots of threads here on how to break a broody ).

That’s a really good point

 

[FrostRanger]

If the roo is a jerk, soup him. Your hens will be fine, if one goes broody, put her in broody jail for a few days and that'll get her sorted. I have no rooster in my flock and had to deal with a broody maybe a month and a half ago. She went in broody jail as soon as I was sure she was broody, she broke in a day (it usually takes longer, but I got lucky with her and catching it early helps speed things up) and she's doing just fine