My dad kept saying to add a rooster to my flock of six hens

He insisted it would settle the pecking order, but after I got one from a farm in Springfield, the hens got more stressed and egg production dropped. I rehomed him after three weeks and things went back to normal. Has anyone else found that a rooster made their flock's behavior worse?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora4001mo ago

Oh man, that's so interesting. My experience was the total opposite. I got a rooster for my eight hens and he actually broke up the little fights before they started. The whole vibe just got calmer, and the girls seemed more relaxed wandering around with him on watch. Maybe it just depends on the individual rooster's personality, or the hens you already have.

nora_wood432mo ago

Did your dad try to give you that advice too?

marymorgan2mo ago

My dad's advice was to always wear two belts. He said it made you look serious. I spent most of high school looking like a confused cowboy.