A couple weeks ago, a hawk got one of our hens. I don't think it would have happened if we had a rooster. The hen was too heavy to carry off, but was killed nonetheless.
We keep a small flock of laying hens in our backyard (was 8, now 7). They live in the portable hen pen pictured below.
I normally keep the hens on the lawn, and move the pen daily. During the winter, I move them to the vegetable garden, fence off the area, and open the external "hen pen" door, granting them more freedom.
They help clean up and fertilizer the garden over the winter, and really seem to enjoy the increased freedom.
We live in town, and while hens are allowed (up to 3
), roosters are not. I wouldn't keep a rooster in town anyway, since I don't want the neighbors to hate me.
I have kept roosters before, when we rented a larger rural property, so I know what they can (and can't) do. Roosters provide a degree of security for the hens.
Roosters have their limitations. They aren't great at night (chickens being groggy at night). They are also too small and weak to provide sufficient protection against larger predators like coyotes or bigger dogs.
I think a rooster would have been sufficient to keep the hawks away.
Roosters are both cool and annoying. I respect their courage. A rooster won't hesitate when it comes to protecting his hens. Even if he loses, he will fight to protect his own.
Roosters aren't a substitute for a farmer with a shotgun (or better yet NV and a rifle), but they do have a role to play.
I think husbands and fathers are kinda like roosters. God has given us the task of leading and protecting our families. We should do the best we can, even if we lose.
Our ultimate security comes from our Father in Heaven, but we are still the roosters of our flocks.
We keep a small flock of laying hens in our backyard (was 8, now 7). They live in the portable hen pen pictured below.
I normally keep the hens on the lawn, and move the pen daily. During the winter, I move them to the vegetable garden, fence off the area, and open the external "hen pen" door, granting them more freedom.
They help clean up and fertilizer the garden over the winter, and really seem to enjoy the increased freedom.
We live in town, and while hens are allowed (up to 3
), roosters are not. I wouldn't keep a rooster in town anyway, since I don't want the neighbors to hate me. I have kept roosters before, when we rented a larger rural property, so I know what they can (and can't) do. Roosters provide a degree of security for the hens.
Roosters have their limitations. They aren't great at night (chickens being groggy at night). They are also too small and weak to provide sufficient protection against larger predators like coyotes or bigger dogs.
I think a rooster would have been sufficient to keep the hawks away.
Roosters are both cool and annoying. I respect their courage. A rooster won't hesitate when it comes to protecting his hens. Even if he loses, he will fight to protect his own.
Roosters aren't a substitute for a farmer with a shotgun (or better yet NV and a rifle), but they do have a role to play.
I think husbands and fathers are kinda like roosters. God has given us the task of leading and protecting our families. We should do the best we can, even if we lose.
Our ultimate security comes from our Father in Heaven, but we are still the roosters of our flocks.
