A protector for the flock

After the unfortunate event that happened with my hen and the dog up the block, I decided that my girls needed a protector. I scoured our local city ordinance and found that roosters actually aren't  prohibited here like I thought they were. In fact, there was nothing at all stating the number of chickens allowed or the sex of the chickens!

My daughter and her friend giving the hens some treats

We're not out to be the people that encourage the city to set these limits, of course, so we are quite content with our tiny backyard flock. If we can have a rooster, however, we might have some more security for our girls. 

I don't want a rooster that is going to crow all day (and night), as much for my neighbor's sanity as our own. Roosters are good protectors in that they will call the hens in if they are roaming too far away as the sun is setting (call them home to roost), they will alert them to predators in the area and let them know when it is safe to be out again, and they will fight to protect the flock. The last point could mean the sacrifice of their own life. No, I don't want another chicken death... but I'd honestly rather lose a rooster than a laying hen.

A local person was giving away two young easter egger [EE] roosters for free as she wanted only hens, so we took in two with the intention of only keeping one. We just didn't want him lonely before he got to join the flock. We planned on keeping the white and black, and gave the brown and black to a friend that was in search of an EE rooster. 

They both enjoyed their gated area, roosting on the side of the gate at night.

Sometimes they would join me at my computer!

Before you ask: yes, they both pooped on me. Yes, it was gross.

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff is responsible for the content of this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own.