Wondering if you need to add a rooster to your backyard coop? The short answer is no, you don’t need to add a rooster into the mix to keep your hens occupied or to keep enjoying those tasty backyard eggs. But, there are some benefits that you’ll enjoy with a rooster that you might be interested to learn about.
If you’ve been keeping up with our blog, you’ll know that your backyard coop has a pecking order, and adding in a rooster will really round out the social order of the group. If you’re looking for a more natural social dynamic, a rooster is just what you’re looking for.
Roosters will also help protect your hens, and make them feel a bit more at ease. The hens will probably feel a little more adventurous and might even start to explore to parts of the yard that they avoided previously. This means that those far-flung edges of your yard might get some added insect protection from your flock. Bear in mind, though, that a rooster still won’t be able to ward off a large predator.
If you want to have baby chicks, you’ll need a rooster, but that’s a given!
One thing to keep in mind is that roosters tend to be much less friendly than hens, so if you have young kids around your coop, you might want to consider holding off on the addition of a rooster. And, some homeowner’s associations and ordinances prohibit the keeping of roosters, so just make sure you check your paperwork before you commit to having a rooster.
I have one chicken. A silkie rooster who is a sweetheart. I turned our old unused swingset /clubhouse/sandbox combo into a coop and run for him. He has a great bachelor pad all too himself. I’m thinking he would like to have some hens for company.
My question is how many hens and what breed do you recommend? He’s not a little silkie, he’s a good sized boy. He’s 5 months old.
Thank you for your help.