Will a Rooster be helpful to my flock?

[varidgerunner]

I'm personally not real big on having pictures of dead federally protected animals on my smart phone. I did see a video of a little asil hen putting the smackdown on a hawk that tried to mess with her chicks. I posted it on here but believe it got removed or the link died or something. Here is my asil hen and her skunk. Sorry I didn't take video, he was stinking the place up and I didn't want to hang around too long, and besides, she was taking all comers, hit me in the shins a couple times.

 

[Roo5]

I would love to get a bird like that!

I'm personally not real big on having pictures of dead federally protected animals on my smart phone. I did see a video of a little asil hen putting the smackdown on a hawk that tried to mess with her chicks. I posted it on here but believe it got removed or the link died or something. Here is my asil hen and her skunk. Sorry I didn't take video, he was stinking the place up and I didn't want to hang around too long, and besides, she was taking all comers, hit me in the shins a couple times.View attachment 1741689

 

[Fairview01]

View attachment 1741490 So I need to be looking out for one like this? Just trying to be clear lol

Yup but beware of kryptonite.

 

[Fairview01]

I'm personally not real big on having pictures of dead federally protected animals on my smart phone. I did see a video of a little asil hen putting the smackdown on a hawk that tried to mess with her chicks. I posted it on here but believe it got removed or the link died or something. Here is my asil hen and her skunk. Sorry I didn't take video, he was stinking the place up and I didn't want to hang around too long, and besides, she was taking all comers, hit me in the shins a couple times.View attachment 1741689

The OP asked about roosters not hens being driven by instinct to protect their young. Happens all the time. Watched a nature show which showed a mamma black bear with cubs in tow chase a big grizzly and give him what for. No one messes with mommas and their offspring.

 

[Fairview01]

Well it could be because their panicking and worrying about getting the predator rather then record and watch the animals fight.

People stand idly by and whip out their phones to record a 6'+ man hand out a serving or whoop butt on a woman with his closed fists and no one gets involved to stop it but drop what they're doing to protect some chickens.

Y'all values are pretty well jacked imo.

 

[Jbum]

Well apparently it’s a guessing game I may have some? I was under the impression we got pullets but now I’m not sure

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not so sure of attacking a predator, and not all roosters are worth a pinch of salt. My last rooster, was only so/so, he tended to keep his girls under an old shed, when they got let out. My new rooster takes the same girls over to scratch around bushes and brambles. He tends to keep them there, and whenever I come up on the flock, he is the first one to see me.

I do think most of my day time predators are hawks and eagles. Often times I don't even find feathers, they are just gone. I also have coyotes, which have been known to get my birds during the day time. Bobcats can be either day or late dusk, and once I found one in the dark in the coop. Coons for me always hit mine in the night. Roosters are not much good against anything in the night.

I have had chickens for 15 years, I free range often. When I don't have a rooster, I tend to lose birds, not every day, but every couple of weeks. When I have a good rooster, my daytime losses are greatly reduced. However, some roosters are better than others. I don't free range on a pattern, I don't on real windy days, or over cast days, too much advantage to the predators.

Too each our own experience.

Mrs K

 

[varidgerunner]

The OP asked about roosters not hens being driven by instinct to protect their young. Happens all the time. Watched a nature show which showed a mamma black bear with cubs in tow chase a big grizzly and give him what for. No one messes with mommas and their offspring.

My roosters are pretty attached to their offspring. A thousand years of being bred to kill another eight pound bird makes a five pound hawk a minor threat. In the dark they hit sounds. Hard and very accurately. If possum is in coop, watch shins.