[rusticranger]

Hi guys,

I was at a show today and a lady was saying that there are good reasons why you should have a cockerel amongst your hens. But she didn't tell me what they were! I was wondering if you guys could tell me?

Tom

[darkbrowneggs]

The cockerels will act as lookout for the girls if they are free ranging and give warning calls signifying  "overhead danger - run for cover"  or "something coming through the grass - run off quick"  This gives the hens time to feed in peace knowing someone is looking out for them.  Which is why hens will often follow you round the garden


They will also try and face down a predator often allowing the females time to run off, and depending on the cockerel will break up squabbling between the hens if it gets out of hand.  Its interesting watching the flock behaviour when a cockerel is there.  Good ones will protect the young, and guard the hen whilst laying, often trialling the nest box as a safe laying place.


On the downside they are noisy, will fight other cockerels, upset the neighbours and wear out the feathers on the hens back, plus eat lots of feed.  The hens generally like to have a cockerel around if they are in full lay, and if there is one in another pen and they don't have one will jump over to be with him.

[suziequeue]

I have to say that we had just hens for a couple of years and then last year introduced one of our home-grown cockerels.

I was aghast.... within about five minutes he had taken charge of all the girls and they quite clearly looked to him for leadership. We've had much MUCH less squabbling since we've had him and it's been easier to introduce new hens.

He really does look out for them and if he finds a good patch to scratch he will often scratch and then stand back and let the hens have first look.

He's such a gent and doesn't have "favourites" who he treads into the ground    but treats them all pretty equally.

We showed him early on who was boss. As soon as he started pecking the back of my wellie as I was leaving the pen (when he was a youngster) I chased him round and round. I only had to do that once. We treat each other with respect now but whenever I go in the pen he always comes up to me first and keeps a beady eye on me - just to make sure that I'm doing my job 

And of course - now that we've got some Maran hens from a different line (thanks DBE  ) we will breed from him next year. It goes without saying that he looks magnificent. Fortunately we don't find him too noisy and I doubt the neighbors can hear him.

Sorry - I've gone on. It's wonderful having a cockerel.

[funkyfish]

I love my boys and don't mind having a few extras if they all get on.


The girls like to follow them and they have their own groups. Our big Indian Game boy is the top bird- he keeps watch. If my husband gets the net out (or anything that looks like the catching net) he herds the girls to a corner and guards them.


We have the funniest pair of bearded silkie boys, they are inseparable  don't really need 2 boys as only have 2 girls but they are no trouble.

[chrismahon]

There are pros and cons BCM. I wouldn't bother unless your flock free-ranges as that's when a cockerel comes into his own -for the reasons explained and more. In a small pen he is a noisy liability.

[shygirl]

when we had our first ever pol's, they were really nervous of being outside as they were raised inside and there was no older hen for them to follow. after a few weeks we bought in a cockeral and the confidence in the hens was immediate.

[Rosemary]

We run a cockerel with each of out laying flocks of 40 birds - Hector and Columbus  They certainly sort out any nonsense - no bullying when they are around. And it's quite sweet how they tell the hens if they find anything tasty to eat, then let the hens eat it 

[devonlad]

i agree with chris mahon> A cockerel is very useful if you free range as he will look after his girls, act as lookout and keep them all together. We dont free range, instead they have a huge area they live in which we call fort knox and in that situation our only attempt at a cockerel was a complete pain. All the girls had threadbare backs and one poor girl who particulalry caught his eye would be chased relentlessly round and round first thing every morning until he had his way- granted she was a lovely looking hen but even so!!!.
he would start crowing at 4 in the morning during the summer aaagghhh!!!. he remains the only chicken we have ever lost to the fox- not deliberate honest. we had them all out in our orchard one evening and forgot until dusk. a pile of feathers was all that remained. i suspect he was standing up for his girls. probably deserved better but we werent sad to see the back of him and he has not been replaced

[sabrina]

I have 2 only because when OH was taking care of 3 other young ones he managed to escape so I said he deserved a chance to live. the main boy keeps him in check. He has his own special girls that follow him during the day but at night they go to bed with the others while he sleeps on the roof of their stable which is inside the barn.

[susiebee]

I'd agree with the other posts about the benefits of having a cockerel, especially with regard to stopping hens picking on each other.  But as regards noise and damaging the hen's backs, we have a Bantam cock ( Indian Game type) with our Marans, Black Rocks etc., he keeps them in order but he doesn't crow as loudly and he doesn't mark the hens.   I think we get all the advantages without the problems.

[shygirl]

We run a cockerel with each of out laying flocks of 40 birds

i was under the impression that you cant have a cockeral with laying hens if the eggs are to be sold.

[chrismahon]

You can sell fertilised eggs Shygirl as long as they show no visible signs of being so. Whoever cracks them open will probably never notice the blastoderm -the patch of cells on the surface of the yolk, so no problem.


We used to sell ours fertilised. Danger is if a breeder realises and buys the eggs of expensive Pedigrees. We used to joke that half a dozen of our eggs would be £18 on eBay, not £1.30 at the door.


Susiebee has a good point. A bantam with large fowl gives the benefits of a lookout without the hen damage. Unfortunately our bantams crow as loud as the large ones, but high pitched. We can hear them over a km away. They are however the most alert to predators and the most defensive -Brown English Leghorns.

[lindaball1961@gmail.com]

Hi there. I started with just 3 hens then got a hen and 2 chicks which both turned out to be boys! One I sold on and I kept the other. I also have a cockerel in with my millefleur bantams. Having made the leap to including 2 boys, I haven't regretted my decision. They keep order with their girls and are a delight to watch when they call their girls over for a morsel of food. Oscar, my bantam cockerel is more feisty, but he is only doing his job, and he certainly looks after them when they are free ranging. Bubble, my hybrid cockerel is a sweetheart, very laid back and a proper gent-I gave them some grapes recently and found him holding the stalk so his girls could get them! Yes, they do make more noise, but luckily my neighbours are fond of all my chickens, and they find my boys a delight to watch. I have found having my boys to be a bonus. Best wishes-Linda 

[mentalmilly]

We have an indian game cockerel and any sign of trouble he hides under the hut and leaves the girls to it. Does not sort any squabbles out among the hens who ignore him anyway, and goes for me if l dont stick to his rules of not hand feeding his girls when he is around. Otherwise not noisy, oversexed but no bare back girls, and calls them if anything tasty turns up. The one we had before would die in defense of the hens was not aggressive at all, but they had bare backs. Also started to crow at silly o'clock in the morning and went on for hours. The girls thought he was wonderful. I think it depends on the cockerel you get. Some good, some not so good, but necessary if you want to breed.

[shygirl]

  of course the major benefit is learning how to feed the hens from behind a dustbin lid when you have an aggressive cockeral  ha