[french bob]

Hi all, I have 4 chooks at present and a friend who is moving has asked me to take her 4 chooks + a rooster off her, I have said yes.

Never had a rooster before as I couldn't see the point as I do not want to breed.

So can I still eat the eggs if the rooster is doing his job? (if they are fertilised)

What advantages will this rooster give me, other than perhaps putting a smile on the girls faces!!!

I have been told that he is a good escape artist, so it looks like I might be wing trimming . Another first.

Thanks in advance.

[GrannieAnnie]

Of course you can still eat the eggs if fertilised, but 'officially' you are not supposed to sell them, something to do with 'foreign bodies' I think!

I've been eating fertile hens eggs for years!

No advantage at all with having a rooster, do you have neighbours?  They may not like the noise.  Is he friendly?  Some roosters can be quite nasty.  He will have a good time, but your girls may not necessarily be happy being told what to do!!   

[NormandyMary]

For me, the added bonus of having a coq is that I just love the sound of the crowing! If you live in the middle of the french countryside (as I do) then to me it just adds to the sound of the countryside. There are a couple of cockerals around us, and when we had Monty, they used to answer each other, it was really funny.
As Grannie has said though, try and find out if he is friendly, you dont want to have to defend yourself each time you go into the henhouse or run.

Good luck!

[GrannieAnnie]

Just imagine, you are trying to get your lovely fresh eggs for your breakfast and le coq is standing there saying you're not taking my babies away!!!   

[french bob]

Hi all,

Well the chooks arrived yesterday. Very cute and only 4 months old. There was a fair bit of verbal from the other girls. Well it was a heck of a row to be honest. The new birds roosted quite early in the coop. good thought I.

Well they came out again and vanished! Searched everywhere not a sign till I looked up the tree that is in the run. They were all about 4 mtrs up roosting. For some reason 2 of them fell out of the tree, and headed for the coop again. Not too exciting for you I hope. One of the fallen then flew up into the tree again. Then flew into my neighbours garden (field) and vanished and has not been seen since. A very good start. 

No other of our birds have ever been in the tree.

This morning one of the chooks was on top to the coop but later came down. Our older ladies are still making a heck of a racket and have done since 6-30 am. So I have let them out into the garden (field).

This parenting is just too stressful. 

[GrannieAnnie]

But what about le coq??   

[Sassy]

The cock should help things settle down much quicker as he sorts them out and maintains order.  That's the theory anyway :blink:

[french bob]

Well the disapearing chook returned today looking none the worse for her adventure.

The coq is (in my opinion) too small to start throwing his weight around (4 months) but the original chooks do seem reluctant to go into the coop when the new 4 are sitting in it. One of the original chooks finally went in and spent the next 10+ minutes making a heck of a din. But she did lay an egg. 

Perhaps after the usual 2 weeks it seems to take for new and old to get on all will be calm.