Rooster or no rooster? My neighbor and I went head to head on this one

Last spring, my neighbor Dave stood right at my fence line and told me straight up that keeping a rooster was "asking for trouble" because they fight and wake everyone up at 4 AM. I argued back that a good rooster like my Barred Rock named Rusty actually protects the hens from hawks and keeps the flock in order. After a month of watching Rusty chase off a Cooper's hawk and keep the hens calm during storms, Dave admitted he was wrong about roosters being nothing but noise. So I'm putting it to you all: are roosters worth the hassle in a backyard setup, or is Dave right that hens only is the smarter move?

2 comments

2 Comments

walker.alex1mo ago

Dave makes a fair point about the noise, lol. My neighbor had a rooster that crowed at all hours and it drove me crazy. But honestly, a well-trained roo that's not aggressive can be a game changer for a flock. Rusty sounds like a good bird, but not everyone gets that lucky. I've seen too many people end up with a rooster that fights with the hens or attacks the owner, and then they're stuck rehoming it. For a small backyard setup, I'd rather skip the risk and just stick with hens.

logan_dixon181mo ago

You're spot on @walker.alex, I've been in the exact same boat! A friend gave me a rooster years ago thinking it would be great for the flock, and that bird turned into a nightmare. He was aggressive with the hens, chasing them away from food, and then he started going after my kids when they went out to collect eggs. I had to rehome him to a farm way out in the country, and it was such a hassle. After that experience, I told myself never again unless I have a ton of space and time to properly socialize one. And even then, you just never know what personality you're gonna get, so hens are definitely the safer bet for a small backyard.