I never intended to get a rooster. In fact, when I picked up my very first batch of chickens, I expected only hens. But sexing chicks, even when done by professionals, isn’t a perfect science. And I ended up with one baby rooster out of a flock of 25.

At first, having a little rooster was a lot of fun. As a youngster, he was my buddy. He would perch on my shoulder while I cared for the hens. He loved to see what I was up to. And he would even have little ‘conversations’ with me as we chattered back and forth. I couldn’t imagine what was so bad about having a rooster! 

Until he hit his first birthday, when those male rooster hormones kicked in. And what used to be a fun, friendly little guy became a fierce protector of his flock. Sadly, he couldn’t tell the difference between a threat to the hens and my small children, and so he had to leave our farm. 

But not every rooster story ends that way! Since then, I’ve had some amazing boys who were absolute gentlemen with my family and my hens. A good rooster will show his ladies where the food is - and let them eat first. 

My favorite little man was a silkie with a big floppy comb. He would lead his girls far and wide to forage for the tastiest treats. But when he would wander off towards the neighbors, all I had to do was yell out the door, “Elvis! Come back here!” and he would bring them all safely home- where I naturally rewarded them with something even tastier! 

Do I Need a Rooster? 

No, you don’t need a rooster to have eggs! But there are pros and cons to having one in your flock. You may even be wondering: “Will a hen lay without a rooster?” And the answer is a resounding yes! Hens will lay eggs whether you have a rooster in your flock or not. If you have a rooster, he will fertilize your hen’s eggs. But don’t worry - you can eat both fertilized and unfertilized eggs. And you won’t even be able to tell the difference! Both are just as good to eat.

Roosters can be a mixed bag - so the question is, should you have one? Do you need one? What’s the purpose of a rooster anyway? Let’s take a look at some reasons you might want to add a rooster to your flock. 

Check the local laws 

First, not all locations that allow chickens will allow roosters. For example, if you live in a city with a noise ordinance, you may not be permitted to have a rooster, even if you can have hens. So always check your laws first! 

Raising your own chicks

Second, if you want your chickens to hatch their own eggs, you’ll need a rooster. Hens need a rooster to fertilize the eggs before they sit on them. Only a fertilized egg can develop into a chick, and only then under the right conditions. So, if you want your own baby chicks from your own hens, you’ll need a rooster. 

Remember that if you raise your own chicks, about half will be more roosters! So, if you don’t want a lot of noisy boys running around, you’ll need to have a plan for what you’ll do with your extra males. 

For Free-Range Flocks

If you want your hens to free-range, like mine do, a rooster is a good idea. A rooster will help keep the hens together and lead them to where the food is. He’ll always keep watch for predators and will sound the alarm if he sees a hawk, a fox, or sometimes, even the mailman. 

For Their Handsome Looks and Fun Personalities

Roosters can be quite handsome with their waddles and combs, long streaming feathers, and proud strut. Some roosters are comical, some are serious, and some are friendly little love bugs. So if you just like their look, or their personality, or whatever reason - you might want a rooster! 

However, there are some reasons not to keep a rooster on your farm or backyard. Let’s examine them. 

Do I REALLY Need a Rooster? 

Roosters can definitely be a great addition to your flock - until they aren’t. My first rooster experience started off great until his rooster hormones kicked in. 

Roosters Can Be Mean and Even Dangerous

My great-uncle had a pet rooster who acted more like a guard dog than a chicken. In fact, people were afraid to go in his house because the rooster was so mean to anyone who walked in the door! 

There are plenty of wonderful, well-behaved roosters. However, some are dangerous to have around people. Most roosters grow spurs on their legs. Spurs are sharp, bony protrusions that roosters can use as weapons. When a rooster needs to fight, it will fly up in the air and aim its spurs right at you. They can inflict cuts and wounds, even on people. If you have small children, a rooster can easily reach their eyes and faces with its spurs. A rooster that attacks can cause serious injury, especially to a small child. 

So, as much as I love my roosters, I will not keep any that are mean or even slightly aggressive on my little homestead. It isn’t worth the risk! 

Roosters Are Loud 

A rooster might not be for you if you value peace and quiet. We’ve all read cute little stories about roosters that were a morning alarm clock, announcing to their families that it is time to wake up! But did you know that roosters don’t just crow when the sun comes up? Roosters will gladly take any opportunity to make a loud announcement! 

My rooster crows every time Amazon drops off a package. He also hollers at the train passing by several times a day, yells at the hawks, and squawks at the neighbor’s dogs. If he senses a raccoon or a fox, he’ll squawk in the middle of the night. And he’ll raise his voice just because he feels like it! 

If the thought of a rooster crowing all day long makes your head hurt, you might not want one in your flock. My guy even has conversations with the neighbor’s rooster a quarter mile away! But my neighborhood isn’t exactly quiet, so the sound of the rooster blends right in. 

Roosters Can Be Hard on the Hens

If you have too many roosters, they can overbreed your hens, causing feather loss and even injury. An ideal flock would be one rooster for every ten hens. So if you have a smaller, backyard flock, you’ll probably want just one, at the most. 

You Want to Optimize Your Feed-to-Egg Ratio 

Another reason not to have a rooster is that he eats a lot! If your only mission is to have eggs while spending as little money on chicken feed as possible, then you should pass up on a rooster. He really is one more mouth to feed! 

You Aren’t Permitted to Have One

Not all locations that allow chickens will allow roosters. For example, if you live in a city with a noise ordinance, you may not be permitted to have a rooster, even if you can have hens. So always check your local laws to see if you are permitted to have one. Also, since roosters can be noisy, you might want to make sure your neighbors don’t mind. 

Final Thoughts on Raising Roosters 

I love having a handsome boy to parade around my backyard. They have fun personalities, take great care of their ladies, and will warn of predators and deliveries, too! But I have a young family and frequent visitors, so I won’t risk keeping an aggressive rooster around. There are far too many good boys to keep one that isn’t.  

Keeping a rooster can be a fun and entertaining aspect of raising chickens, whether you have a big flock or a small one. But they aren’t a perfect fit for every backyard. Keeping a rooster is a very individual decision, based on your family, your flock, your location, and of course, the rooster!