You don't need a rooster to make hens lay eggs. A normal hen lays an egg most days, even without a rooster. You do need a rooster if you want fertile eggs, th

You don't need a rooster to make hens lay eggs. A normal hen lays an egg most days, even without a rooster. You do need a rooster if you want fertile eggs, though. A normal backyard flock needs a rooster to get fertile eggs to raise to perpetuate the flock. This is why backyard and small farm flocks usually have one. I can't think of anyone keeping chickens and not having a rooster, although I live in the countryside where their cock-a-doodle-do is tolerated or even loved. I'm guessing if you keep hens in suburbia you'd have to buy chicks somewhere rather than have a rooster. Big battery farms though? I have no idea if they have some barns with roosters to perpetuate the flock or if they buy in chicks from specialized rooster farms or something?...