I’m absolutely in love with having a few roosters in my flock. If you live in an area where roosters are allowed, I want to persuade you to keep one in your flock too. Here are the top 3 reasons why I keep a rooster around.

1. Flock watchdog

Perhaps the most important role of the rooster is the job of keeping his eye on the sky and around the perimeter for any potential threats. A watchful rooster can be invaluable for sounding the alarm when he notices a predator or other threat. Roosters have different calls they use to say different things. If you spend any length of time watching your flock, you will learn the different calls a rooster has to communicate with the hens.

2. Fertile eggs for hatching new chicks

My second favorite reason for having a rooster in my flock is the possibility of hatching out some chicks of my own. When I have a favorite hen that lays a great egg color or is a particularly high producer of good quality eggs, I have the ability to hatch some of her chicks to try to perpetuate those genetics.

3. Fewer issues with “mean girl” flock drama

Flocks with roosters in charge tend to have fewer pecking order issues. Yes, keeping more than one rooster in a flock means you will have the potential of some serious rooster fights, but if you watch closely, there will be a dominant rooster with his preferred hens, and then the other roosters with their preferred hens. As long as there is plenty of space for each sub-flock to have their own areas, a large flock with several roosters is not usually an issue. I currently have 3 roosters with 75 hens and everyone gets along peacefully.

I hope you will consider having a rooster in your flock. If you are unsure which breed to add to your flock, be sure to take a look at our blog on the friendliest rooster breeds. You won’t regret adding one, as they are handsome, important leaders in a flock and serve a purpose. What kind of rooster do you have in your flock?  Tell us about him in the comments below!