Homemade chicken brings undoubted benefits - it provides the family with fresh egg products and high-quality meat. Hens independently, without participation of males, perfectly cope with these tasks. However, the rooster in the household is still needed. Today we will tell you what is the use of the presence of a male in the bird community, how many females should be per cock and discuss some more nuances.
Does the chicken need a rooster
Before you start a proud male in the chicken pack, you should decide on the purpose of maintaining the household. There is no evidence that the presence of a male in the pack has any effect on the number of eggs laid. Therefore, if you have several hens for fresh eggs, then the rooster is useless. If you are interested in growing young stock, then the male producer on the farm is simply necessary. Quids by nature are endowed with the ability to carry eggs without male involvement. Like all females, an egg cell matures regardless of whether a male is present in the herd or not. The only difference is the breeding of offspring: if the male does not fertilize the egg, then the chickens are not expected. Without male participation, only unfertilized egg products that are unsuitable for incubation will be given. And no modern apparatus for artificial breeding of chicks without a male will not work.
Did you know? The rooster became the national symbol of France, Portugal and Sri Lanka, he is depicted on the arms of the states of Kenya and Trinidad and Tobago. And in the United States of America, a blue breed rooster (Blue Hen Chicken) is selected as the official distinctive sign of Delaware.The content of the cock has the advantage also in social terms. The male brings up layers and ensures order in the house. The head of the family controls that the inhabitants of the coop wake up at the appointed time, eat and do not forget to rush. The male takes quotes for walking and returns them from the walk in time. The male prevents and resolves squabbles and fights, which often occur between the second. He stands up for weak girlfriends, protecting them from stronger, dominant tribeswoman. And carrying out the program of protection of his harem, set by nature, the leader of the pack cares about his charges with all the responsibility. On the free pasture, the rooster ensures the safety of the herd. Feeling threatened by predators, the male is sounding the alarm so that the chickens will flee to a secluded place. If the predator still managed to get closer to the feathered ladies, the head of the pack never retreats and fights to the end, because protecting his own group is more important to him than personal security.
Did you know? Roosters and chickens are modern dinosaurs. They are descendants of one of the largest predators on Earth - Tyrannosaurus Rex.People who have already had experience of keeping chickens, note that the feathered gentleman sometimes creates problems more than is useful. The presence of males has a negative effect on the appearance of the hens. Frequent mating can injure the hen - the cock scratches her and strips the plumage.
The presence in the herd of feathered cavalier guarantees the development of maternal instinct in the quicks. As a result of contact with the male in the feathered lady, the desire to hatch eggs awakens. The hen ceases to run, instead searching for a place for the nest and interfering with the other inhabitants of the coop. Consider this fact, since you will not only not receive additional egg products, but you will also have to take care of the chickens, because the wedge is not able to cope with this task on its own. The inimitable singing of the leader will not let the whole court sleep in the morning. The willful bird is hostile not only to strangers, but even to the owner of the farm. Often, the daily pet feeding process becomes a difficult task.
Important! Never forget that in the chicken dwelling the master is the rooster. You do not have to claim his place, otherwise the rooster will experience aggression in his address. The pissed-off male will begin to rush not only at the farmer, but also at the not guilty quotes. In addition, if the rooster does not deserve the role of leader, then the hens will be neglected by such a male. As a result, order in the chicken family will come down to "no." To create the authority of the leader in the chicken harem will help one simple trick: run Kvochek to the gentleman, and not vice versa. Experienced poultry farmers claim that this method works.
How many chickens per rooster need for good fertilization
For the continuation of the offspring, the best option is 10 chickens or a slightly larger number per one rooster. In this case, all eggs are guaranteed to be fertilized.
Consider what should be the maximum number of chickens per cock for different breeds of this poultry:
- for chickens of egg breeds per one male sire, there should be no more than 15 heads;
- for common species - no more than 12 females;
- for fighting, heavy meat breeds and small species - no more than 8 heads.
The combined content of two or more males in the herd
A very important role is played by the age of the cockerel. Young males may not immediately begin to show attention to females. Therefore, when the joint keeping of two cockerels in the herd, it is recommended to pick up individuals in such a way that one is younger and the second is older.
Important! No more than two cockerels can coexist in the same family, provided that they grow together. In this case, there will be more chances that the males will live peacefully even in a small herd.
What happens if roosters are smaller or larger than normal
It should not be kept in the pack a larger number of males than is necessary. Constant competition leads to fierce fights between birds, and you should not wait for a quiet life. In addition, the hens themselves will suffer from the presence of several roosters. Males simply torment feathered women, realizing their biological needs. They will often trample on quiche, burrowing at them in the back. The ears will lose their outer beauty, becoming tacky. Layers can even be seriously injured. In addition, because of wounds, the chicken runs the risk of contracting an infection. If cavaliers are less than the required rate, then numerous hens will periodically carry "dummy eggs", from which chickens will not appear. Therefore, if you are aiming at breeding young animals, you should have two males on one bird community.
Learn how a rooster tramples (fertilizes) a chicken, how many years a hen and rooster live at home, do you need a rooster to carry eggs and how can you call a rooster.
Hopefully, you will no longer have problems with determining the number of feathered Klushs per cavalier. A handsome proud leader, especially if he is thoroughbred, will become a real decoration of the bird community. In addition, with the feathered gentleman will be more interesting and more fun.