If there are roosters on the compound, then it is difficult not to notice these bright, lively birds. With their cry, they bring revival to the herd, thanks to them the appearance of chickens is possible, however, common laying hens often suffer from cockfights. Is it necessary to keep the roosters in the herd and what are the advantages and disadvantages of their stay in the chicken coop - read on.

Why do you need a cock

Many people, especially those who are not knowledgeable in agriculture, often do not understand the role of the rooster in the life of the herd. Chickens may well carry eggs without males, however, for the appearance of chickens, the participation of cocks is necessary. But the advantages of their presence in the compound are not limited to this.

Did you know? On the walls of the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun there are images of chickens. Drawings date back to 1350 BC. e., this is one of the oldest evidence of the taming of these birds by man.

The benefits of content

• Staying among roosters among chickens has its advantages:
• only with the participation of males the appearance of fertilized eggs is possible, from which chickens hatch;
• the rooster brings order to the life of hens: organizes their raising, calls for dinner, takes for a walk;
• the male is able to drive away small predators, protecting the bird;
• if there is a rooster in the chicken coop, then the chickens behave calmer, feel protected and rush better.

Video: How many cocks do you need for a chicken coop

Content harm

• However, there are certain drawbacks to the presence of cocks in the bird compound:
• they have an aggressive, pugnacious character, because of which they can attack other animals, birds and even hosts;
• if there are too few chickens, the roosters begin to pay more attention to each of them, so the females become more restless;
• due to frequent stomping with a rooster, the chicken loses its beautiful appearance: feathers fall out, scratches appear;
• when the eggs become fertilized, the maternal instinct wakes up in the layers, and they rush less, preferring to hatch eggs.

How many chickens do you need per cock

Many owners are interested in how many chickens and how many roosters need to be kept. Experts believe that on average 1 rooster should be planted for 10 chickens, and at least two for 20 chickens.

Important! A minimum of 1 rooster should be 4–5 chickens, and a maximum of 12–13. If these norms are violated, birds will not have a comfortable life.

If the hens are less than the indicated number, the male will trample them too often, because of which they will not be able to calmly rush. With an excess of females, a situation is possible when pets will appear at the feathered owner of the farmstead, and he may even begin to offend the rest of the birds.

What to do if cocks are more or less than normal

However, there are different situations in life, and there is not always a physical opportunity to adhere to the recommended norms.

Did you know? Chickens can make about 30 varieties of sounds.

In such cases, the following techniques will help:

• when there are too many cocks for the herd, pay attention to their behavior. If they coexist peacefully, do not interfere with the chickens to rush, then it is not worth interfering in their life. However, when the males cannot divide the territory, it is better to get rid of the most pugnacious;
• if there are too many chickens for the number of roosters available, then you can get more birds. In this case, try to take the males from one brood, the same age, then there is less chance that you will have cockfights in the yard;
• it happens that 1 male falls less than normal females. Chicken can suffer from an excess of attention, so every week, let them rest, for 2-3 days relocating the feathered.

What space do cocks need

Like all leaders of the herd, roosters need their own territory, where they host it at their discretion. Private yards rarely have enough space for more than 2-3 feathered hosts. And when they do not have enough space, there is no way to divide the territory, then fights between males begin.

There are two ways to solve this problem:

1. It is possible to separate the territory for each of the males with partitions, having planted the necessary number of chickens there.
2. If there is no desire to engage in the redevelopment of the farmstead, they simply remove the males from the females. In the wild, there are often whole swarms of males whose members coexist peacefully. They show aggression only when chickens appear, so divide the birds by gender on your farm, and cockfights will stop.

Correct normalization of individuals in the chicken coop is important for the normal state of laying hens, affects the number of eggs and the further appearance of chickens. To begin with, it’s worth deciding what you plan to keep the bird for (you only need eggs or chickens, too), and then control the population by sex according to your goals.