How attached to a rooster does a hen get?

[SweetieChicken234]

I have a hen that is really attached to her rooster. She is also attached to me. She comes and sits on me any chance she gets. I have some young roosters I want to raise and replace my rooster. He's having trouble mounting hens and most of his(the hens..) eggs are not fertile. I put 24 eggs in the incubator 6 are currently the only ones living after 2 weeks. He's a good boy and I love him but he has a job to do. I'm not too sure about rehoming him because honestly the people around me are just .....this area is just bad maybe. I thought it might be more kind to cull him. I do want to sell some of my hens late in the year but since this hen is attached to me and the rooster I am trying to figure out what I should do. I do love the hen so I would prefer to keep her.

 

[puddle_drinker]

I have a hen that is really attached to her rooster. She is also attached to me. She comes and sits on me any chance she gets. I have some young roosters I want to raise and replace my rooster. He's having trouble mounting hens and most of his(the hens..) eggs are not fertile. I put 24 eggs in the incubator 6 are currently the only ones living after 2 weeks. He's a good boy and I love him but he has a job to do. I'm not too sure about rehoming him because honestly the people around me are just .....this area is just bad maybe. I thought it might be more kind to cull him. I do want to sell some of my hens late in the year but since this hen is attached to me and the rooster I am trying to figure out what I should do. I do love the hen so I would prefer to keep her.

The hen will be fine without that rooster. You've given the rooster a good life, make his end quick and with as little stress as possible. If you can, dispatch him and cook him (slowly) and appreciate his life. Or dispatch him and give him to the local circle of life, let nature re-integrate him.

If he is well behaved, maybe wait until the young cockerels get over one year old and can learn good behavior from the old rooster.