Signs of a Good Rooster?

Hey there!

I'm pretty new to chickens, and right now have more roosters than I'd like (I only want one). My chicks are only six weeks old, but I'm pretty sure of which are hens and which are roosters. Anyhow, I'd like your general good rooster, non-aggressive to people (though he doesn't have to be generally cuddly) he can keep his distance and I won't mind, as long he is good to the hens.

I know that my chicken's personalities will change when their hormones hit, but generally, from your experience, what kind of behavior do you look for in chick's to determine whether or not they will be good roosters or not? From what I've read, you don't want a chick that's overly-friendly, but you don't want one that you can't catch. I think I have a good match, if those are some good guidelines.

He's definately not the cuddliest chicken. He'll wander up to me in the coop and let me pet him before he clucks away. He's very easy to catch and also calm when you pick him up, he doesn't struggle at all, I don't really handle him every day either, probably around every other. Anyway, I think he'd be a better choice than my one roo who is the hardest little thing to snatch and then wriggles and wriggles until you put him down, and another will not stay away. He's an awfully sweet little guy but I'm worried that his personality will change as he ages.

Thank you for your input! Here's a picture of the rooster who I'm leaning towards.

If you are able to do so, keep your cockerels as long as is possible. You are correct in assuming that personalities will change as they reach 'puberty'. At the first sign of human aggression - eliminate that bugger, if you have many to choose from no need to tolerate that. Young cockerels can go a little nutty when they first start mating, but again there is no need to tolerate excessive aggression. The chick that you are favoring is going to grow into a beauty. Good luck in your selection.

Wow he is going to be beutifull! He is already pretty and they just keep getting prettier. My chick is now getting some rooster colors I am hoping he will be pretty. If not oh well I will still love him. Idk much about good roosters and bad roosters but he is pretty!

Pre "Juice" fun and cute, needs to be a bird who isnt flighty. If you run from me now, that probably wont change.
Occasionally that shy little crazy one turns out really pretty and nice after puberty, but not often enough.

Post "Juice" birds must meet the real criteria, because they can change personality in puberty.
Agressiveness = Low to mild, but not afraid of another animal. Cautious but not afraid of people, call it hesitant but curious.
I'll give some credit if he just makes a big racket or chases a new person, but with choices no attacking is tolerated even strangers.

Respect = Must know I'm the big chicken no matter what I'm doing. Feel free to strut and puff, even cackle, but that's IT.
If I want to move the broody, then you will let me Mr. roo or you will be stew.

Cuddles = Not as important, but he should be able to be caught and calm down immidately after. If he runs a bit, that's natural, but no struggling or crazy corner flying.
If I need to hand him off to someone then this shouldnt change his temperment, he should calm down just the samel

Asthetics = He should be prettier than anyone else in the same catagory or have some insane show quality to make up for other defects.

Chambertin said:

Pre "Juice" fun and cute, needs to be a bird who isnt flighty. If you run from me now, that probably wont change.
Occasionally that shy little crazy one turns out really pretty and nice after puberty, but not often enough.

Post "Juice" birds must meet the real criteria, because they can change personality in puberty.
Agressiveness = Low to mild, but not afraid of another animal. Cautious but not afraid of people, call it hesitant but curious.
I'll give some credit if he just makes a big racket or chases a new person, but with choices no attacking is tolerated even strangers.

Respect = Must know I'm the big chicken no matter what I'm doing. Feel free to strut and puff, even cackle, but that's IT.
If I want to move the broody, then you will let me Mr. roo or you will be stew.

Cuddles = Not as important, but he should be able to be caught and calm down immidately after. If he runs a bit, that's natural, but no struggling or crazy corner flying.
If I need to hand him off to someone then this shouldnt change his temperment, he should calm down just the samel

Asthetics = He should be prettier than anyone else in the same catagory or have some insane show quality to make up for other defects.

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Thanks for this criteria list I"m really not one to tolerate if he misbehaves. I really like your term "juice" I think that's a really good way to put it.

roostersandhens said:

Wow he is going to be beutifull! He is already pretty and they just keep getting prettier. My chick is now getting some rooster colors I am hoping he will be pretty. If not oh well I will still love him. Idk much about good roosters and bad roosters but he is pretty!

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Thanks! I really love his pattern. I'm sure your roo will be beautiful! It's hard to find one that isn't.

sourland said:

If you are able to do so, keep your cockerels as long as is possible. You are correct in assuming that personalities will change as they reach 'puberty'. At the first sign of human aggression - eliminate that bugger, if you have many to choose from no need to tolerate that. Young cockerels can go a little nutty when they first start mating, but again there is no need to tolerate excessive aggression. The chick that you are favoring is going to grow into a beauty. Good luck in your selection.

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Thanks for your advise! I certainly do have plenty, to choose from! I really like your tip to just eliminate the ones that show aggression! Surely I've got one golden roo in my batch, huh? I hope to be able to keep them for awhile yet, how long is it before they really start to act differently? Just so that I know when. Thank you so much!



Thanks everyone for answering! I'm curious, what are your thoughts on the bachelor pen for young roosters to go in before I pick one out to keep? I have more roosters than I do hens right now, so if I kept them all in the same pen it would probably be disastrous. So, a bachelor pen wouldn't be difficult for me to set up, though I do have a few questions to how they work, if anybody knows the answer.

1) What age would I move my roosters into the bachelor pen? They're six weeks old right now (Easter Eggers and Jersey Giants).

2) Would I need a seperate coop for my roosters, or could they share the same as the hens?

3) How long do you think it will be before my rooster's personalities are set in stone?

Thanks again!

1.) If you have more roosters than hens you really need to seperate them when they become interested in maiting.
Probably about 12 weeks they'll start changing, and by 16 weeks they might start trying to mount.
I say the sooner the better so that they are well used to closed company ammongst each other before their juice turns on.

2.) As long as they are properly seperated they can all be in the same coop. I made a wall in mine out of screen door parts.

3.) I wait for at least a month after they get juiced. Crowing can come really early so I call it set in after they try to mate.

Hope it helps

my only nice rooster as a chick he would always wanted to be next to me but wouldnt like to be held and now he is a cuddle bug. he will even protect me from the roos that will attack me.

k42001 said:

my only nice rooster as a chick he would always wanted to be next to me but wouldnt like to be held and now he is a cuddle bug. he will even protect me from the roos that will attack me.

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Wow, he's a pretty guy! Look at that comb! What breed is he?

Chambertin said:

1.) If you have more roosters than hens you really need to seperate them when they become interested in maiting.
Probably about 12 weeks they'll start changing, and by 16 weeks they might start trying to mount.
I say the sooner the better so that they are well used to closed company ammongst each other before their juice turns on.

2.) As long as they are properly seperated they can all be in the same coop. I made a wall in mine out of screen door parts.

3.) I wait for at least a month after they get juiced. Crowing can come really early so I call it set in after they try to mate.

Hope it helps

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Thanks! You certainly have helped a lot! I'll be sure to keep my roosters and hens seperated when they come of age, I really do appreciate your help!

I have had 2 roos in my time of chicken keeping first one was disastrous he was mean if I went in the coop to feed him he would attack immediately. He killed 2 hens he was a rir. After he killed the hens he became dinner. I purchased more hens was scared to get another roo after my experience. But one of my 15 hens started to cock a doodle doo. Lol oops. But he is great. Protects the girls. I have seen him take on a dog to protect the girls. I can walk in the coop and all is great. When I let them out to forage he runs around checking on the hens. If he sees danger he calls the girls to him. Not overly cuddly but if I am walking among them he doesn't run or make a racket just looks at me then goes back to finding bugs.

Glad I could help, and good luck picking a good one.

As the above story tells, a good rooster is so different from a bad one and nice to have for free range.
They can, and will be good. If not, dinner is served.