Can roosters live alone? Roosters can live alone, yes. They are happier among hens, of course. But with plenty of space and things to do, maybe even an imitation mate, they can be perfectly happy.
Not many people buy a rooster as a pet without having any other backyard chickens.
It’s not unheard of though. I know a couple of people who have owned roosters as house pets and they were perfectly happy roaming in and out of their homes.
More often than not, however, people find themselves in a situation where they need to separate their roo from their flock.
This is a little more challenging from a logistical perspective. But I’d much prefer to hear your separated your roo than sent him off to be butchered or some similar fate.
Here are some of the most common reasons why people are often forced to separate their roosters:
Table of Contents
Reasons Why You Might Want to Separate a Rooster
Roosters Can Be Aggressive With Other Chickens
The biggest challenge I hear from backyard chickens owners with a rooster is how to deal with them being aggressive with other chickens.
Honestly, it’s sad to see or find out that they’ve hurt one or more hens in a flock. No one wants to think one of their chicks are being bullied and it can be hard resolve.
Roosters Can Be Aggressive With Humans
Roosters can be aggressive with us too. They are quite scary and dangerous when in fighting mode too, those spurs on their legs are not just for show!
I’ve been pecked and attacked with a spur on a few occasions and it tore my skin with ease. If it’s not safe for you, or worse for your kids to enter the coop you’ll need to move the rooster.
This video features one mean rooster giving his owner something to fear when he's bringing in the feed, look familiar?
You Might Not Want Fertilized Eggs
Some backyard chicken owners didn’t plan to have a rooster, some didn’t fully understand the implications. Whatever the reason, if you don’t want fertilized eggs you will need to get rid of the fertilizing machine.
Constant Mating Can Be a Problem
The mating process is always a wonderful thing in the animal kingdom. But, taking a closer look at how a rooster mates with a hen is anything but wonderful. It’s actually literally terrifying for some hens.
When a rooster mounts a hen he gets a good hold of her by gripping her sides by digging his spurs in. He also holds her neck with his beak.
It’s all over in a few seconds, but some hens end up with missing feathers, red marks on their sides, and they live in fear of the rooster.
Related content - How long does a rooster live?
Do Roosters Get Lonely Without Hens?
It’s no secret that Roosters are very motivated by having a flock of hens to protect, interact with, and of course mate with.
That’s what roosters are for.
So, by taking them away from hens or never giving them hens to interact with, wondering if they get lonely is an obvious concern.
The answer is always going to be “yes”.
This doesn’t mean you can’t keep one on its own though. Like I covered above, if it’s necessary for the wellbeing of the rest of the flock, you don’t really have a choice.
Chickens are social animals, and they form a complex social hierarchy when in a large flock. Each chicken takes on a different role, they form a pecking order, and together they function much better as a unit.
They enjoy socializing and talking with each other too. All that cluck-cluck’in and bwak’ing isn’t for nothing. That’s social murmuring and chit chat amongst each other.
So, there’s no doubt a rooster will be more lonely away from a flock. But, if you provide plenty of space and visit him as often as you can, he’ll be just fine.
Keep an eye out for any signs of stress to be on the safe side. This might mean changes in behavior, being more aggressive towards you, not eating or drinking enough, and looking unkempt.
Related content - what sounds do chickens make?
Can You Tame and Rehabilitate an Aggressive Rooster?
This is a tough question to answer because I’ve not had to tame a rooster myself. I’ve read a good deal on the subject and spoken with some friends, and there isn’t a lot of positive takeaways.
In an eggshell (deliberate pun) it’s not easy to tame or change an aggressive rooster.
The issue is that it takes time and effort to work with an aggressive rooster. All the while he will still be attacking you or the hens if he’s kept with his flock, otherwise, you’ll have to do it while he’s separated.
There are a few things you can do. These are also applicable once you’ve separated the offending rooster and are interacting with him.
Some ways to interact with an aggressive rooster to lessen his angry tendencies include:
Always approach with caution and don’t stare or walk him down. He might see this as a challenge and go into fight or flight mode.
Watch his body language closely for signs that he’s about to attack. At the slightest sign of aggressive back away before he can act.
If he does attack you, scoop him up and restrain him. I’ve read that this will show him you’re higher in the pecking order than he is. But do this at your own risk!
For a more detailed explanation on how to deal with an aggressive rooster, I recommend checking out this video:
In Summary
If you’re forced to separate a rooster for the greater good, you can make the best of the situation and they should be just fine.
Roosters can live alone if they have to. Obviously, they’d be much happier ruling the roost and having a brood of hens to command. But sometimes, it’s just not possible.
