Today, breeding chickens at home is gaining momentum again. People turn them on for fresh eggs and dietary meat, of which they are fully confident. However, many are interested in whether chickens need a rooster and what functions it performs in a chicken coop. This is what this article will be about.
Rooster content
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of keeping a male in a chicken coop.
Benefits
- The presence of a rooster in the chicken coop has the following advantages:
- Breeding chicks. Chickens will not hatch from eggs without fertilization, which can only be done by a male.
- Order and complete discipline. Chickens are always subject to the leader, who constantly maintains order and, in addition, is a food provider.
- Protection and security. Even a cock, having a small stature and weight, in case of danger becomes a real fighter. All thanks to the fact that nature awarded him with a sharp beak, spurs and claws, which are real weapons.
- The beauty. Roosters are much more beautiful than hens, and it’s also very interesting to watch how they care for them.
- Meat. Since males are much larger than females, they are also raised for dietary meat.
Did you know? A healthy light breed cock can mate about 40 times a day. Heavier species - up to 15 times.
Disadvantages
Despite the advantages, there are still some disadvantages of finding roosters in the chicken coop.
- These include:
- Aggressiveness. Most know about their hot temper. In addition, they are also vindictive. It’s enough to offend him once, in order to be ready for an attack for a long time. In addition, they punish chickens who disobey.
- Inflicting wounds on layers. As a result of strong love of love during intercourse, males damage not only feathers, but also the skin of chickens. Infections get into the wounds, which leads to inflammation. In addition, such females do not look very attractive.
- Nest Protection The presence of a male leads to an exacerbation of instincts in females. As a result, they begin to protect the masonry and hide the eggs in the most secluded places. In addition, they cease to rush, surrendering completely to incubation of eggs.
Based on this, the cock can become not only an assistant, but also the reason for the appearance of quite serious problems.Rooster functions in the chicken coop
What are chickens for, everyone knows. But many are interested in the question of why a rooster is needed. Its main function is posterity.
However, males in the chicken coop perform other functions:
- preventing squabbles between chickens;
- protects the chicken coop from predator attacks;
- males accustom chickens to nests and perches;
- make sure that all the inhabitants of the chicken coop are full;
- punish violators of the rules.
Among other things, this is a live alarm clock that wakes everyone around with its singing.
Do chickens rush without roosters
The process of egg formation in the chicken’s body works in such a way that for it to start, it’s enough for the female to reach puberty. This can happen at the age of 6 months, but is directly dependent on the breed.
The process of egg formation inside the bird and its exit outside takes about 2 days. Based on this, it is clear that a male does not need a chicken to get eggs. However, not everyone knows whether its presence affects egg production. The answer is no, as it depends only on the breed, feeding and keeping of birds.
Differences in Fertilized Eggs
A rooster fertilizes eggs. But if you compare a fertilized and unfertilized egg, it turns out that:
- external and other qualities do not have differences;
- energy value is also the same.
The only difference is that offspring can only be obtained from the fertilized. A sign of fertilization is the presence of a blood ring or clots with fibers in the yolk. You can see them by enlightening the egg.
Important! The reason that roosters refuse to trample chickens is most often their age. If you have a "chicken coop owner" of an advanced age, you need to get a young one to help.
How many cocks do chickens need
On average, for 13 chickens you need to get 1 rooster. If you have plans to start a large herd, it is recommended to divide it into groups. At the same time, each should have a separate territory and a “leader”. The only option for keeping two males in one chicken coop is to grow them together.
As you can see, getting a rooster or not depends on the purpose of raising chickens in your farm. They will bring a lot of benefits for organizing the internal routine of the chicken coop and in case it is planned to breed.
