Visiting cockerel - should I be concerned?

[changer22]

We have 4 hens who trundled around the garden quite happily but they have been joined by a visiting cockerel who can clear our fence.

They seem quite happy with him - if a bit too happy! - but I don't want him around. Apart from the annoyance factor - he's not ours, he's big and because I don't know him I'm wary of him with our 14 month old in the garden - is there anything I should be concerned about?

I'm assuming that as long as we keep collecting the eggs daily, we should be ok with regard to chicks and we will keep an eye on the hens to make sure they don't go broody.

We are new to all this - can you tell?!

Well, depends on the cockeral. Some can be quite vicious and will attack (I have one that's not nice at all) but others are softies. I wouldn't leave my 14 month alone with one.

As far as fertilising the eggs goes - continue collecting them every day and it won't be an issue.

Some people say that hens lay a lot more with a cockerel around so it could be a good thing.

Thank you missbehiving and squonk for your encouraging posts (sorry it took so long to reply - the PC died).

He has become a permanent fixture (from 8-7!) and he seems friendly (and wary) enough so that's good.

The hens - 4 of them - were all laying every day so that can't improve but they seem to like having him around. He did invite his other girls in the other day so we gained 7 more for an afternoon!

You can look at my cockerel on my profile and he is a viscious thug. Knocks the hens about terribly, attacks me without warning.

I am genuinely worried he will escape and attack a visiting child.