THE GOAT FARM

No, hens do not need a rooster present in order to lay eggs. A healthy hen will begin laying when she is around 6-8 months old and will continue to lay eggs regardless of a rooster’s presence until she is between 5-10 years of age.

Roosters can be an incredible addition to a flock if you free range your chickens, as they will usually attack any predators (mainly hawks) that try to go after the hens. If you plan on hatching your own eggs you will need a rooster present in the flock in order for the eggs to be fertilized.

That being said, not all roosters are created equal. Some roosters can be more aggressive than others, even going as far as to attack you or being harmful to the hens. Overall, you do not need a rooster for your hens to produce farm fresh eggs and a lot of the time, your hens will appreciate not having a rooster constantly bothering them!

Now, what do you do if you get a rooster when you don’t want one? Sometimes when buying straight run (un-sexed chicks), or hatching your own eggs you might get a rooster or 2. Please do not let them go in the hopes that some predator will kill them, not only is it illegal in a lot of towns, it’s also immoral. The Goat Farm offers a drop off for roosters that are unwanted. Just pull up to the farm stand and place the roosters in one of the crates, and we’ll take care of them for you! We do charge $5 per rooster being dropped off.