Decisions desisions for fall

[SAHMof2]

I am wondering if anyone can help me make some decisions with my flock. Sorry for the length of my rambling…

I have 13 beautiful Wyandotte’s, silver and gold and one mixed. Of those I have 3 silver roosters and the mixed bub is also a rooster. I *think* he is a blue red, that or a really pretty, large, gold.

I had ventured into this with the intention of processing them for the freezer but now think it would make more economic sense to keep them over the winter and have them go broody. One of my questions is, I’d like to find out who is the best broody hen and who is the best rooster. What am I looking for in a rooster? The mixed fellow is always left out and picked on, he is the largest (fluffy too) however he picks on the hens. I have yet to hear him crow. The other three silver roosters are noisy but seem to treat the hens well but two of them fight often.

Fwiw, I also have two bourbon red turkey Toms I want to keep over winter but am not thrilled about keeping them indoors all through the winter. I’d like to keep them or find them a lady. I know of a lady who has some hens near-ish to here so I was thinking of trading her a Tom for a hen but they are not bourbon reds. That or giving her a Tom in trade for some of the off-spring.

Do I process some of these roosters? See if I even like the meat? Trade them or sell them for some different blood lines? Keep them till spring to see who is the most desirable (although I’m not sure what makes one desirable).

Please help me figure out what to do!

 

[greenSearcher]

Keeping one rooster for hens and chicks and freezing the rest makes economic sense. Which rooster? One that has shown no human aggression, even as a chick. If you can segregate the boys; you can place one in with the girls for a few days to see the flock dynamics. If he gets hen pecked, then try another. If you have time, give it a week maybe 2 to see if one suits. Anyway, if you are thinking of spring, then 1 roo and your hens give you a core flock for next year.
I am harvesting my extra boys, except the silkie. I just can't make myself eat it. It is to yucky looking. I will sell him w/ my SS and Blue Andalusian hens who are really grump tempered. Can't add to that flock w/o terrible pecking order fights. By doing that I will have 2 flocks, one Naked Neck flock and one standard feathered flock. Next spring I can expand the NNs. They handle the TX heat the best.

Turkeys??? I'd process them and order poults in the spring.

Just mt 2 cents.

 

[SAHMof2]

Thanks so much for that. The blue red rooster?? is the one I like the best, maybe because he's the underdog and quiet type. BUT he has pecked me before. Other then that while cornered he's not shown any human aggression.

Over the next week I will put only one rooster with the hens and see what happens.

The turkeys were very spendy so I'd rather not put out that money all over again. Is it a fair deal to stud or trade one of them for a hen or some chicks?

When we get to 30 degrees (86 F) here in the summer I often think of all of your in the south and how they do.

 

[Oregon Blues]

You only need one rooster for that many hens, and the flock will be much more settled with only one.

I wouldn't keep the rooster that picks on the hens. Nor would I keep one that showed any aggression towards humans. Other than that, if these are purebreds, keep the one that comes closest to the SOP for that breed.

 

[SAHMof2]

I was afraid you would say that. That would be two points against the same beautiful rooster. The underdog.

One decision down two more roosters to choose from. There are currently three SLW roosters and I *think* one isn't crowing YET. Maybe he'll be the lucky boy.