Poll: Pick your favorite cockerel for our Silkie + Polish girls!

[tlynns]

I don't really have a preference based on looks. Look for a cockerel that is calm about things, not aggressive towards people, and has good body substance. You want wide set legs, a flat back, alert eyes, and hardiness. If there's one that sits around all day in cold weather, you don't want that one. If there's one that has a runny nose or sounds odd, you don't want that one. If you can wait for what they're like as adults, choose one that is gentle with the hens and dances for them. Don't select for this as cockerels---they're all rubbish until maturity. Raising them all together will help 'train' them into appropriate power dynamics between them and other birds and even humans.

This is great advice! I will do my best to keep them until adulthood for sure! Thankfully all of them seem healthy, but I keep an eye out for anything unusual. And thanks for the tip about keeping them all together to teach them manners... I was getting a little worried as they were already starting typical rooster behavior like charging each other, etc. so I was hoping to rehome the ones we don't want sooner rather than later. Thanks!

I would go with one of the polish and number 5, the buff silkie, also, I think number 6 is a hen... I like the golden laced polish the best, but you may not want to keep 2 with the buff...

I would certainly be happy if it was a hen! But I don't think thats the case... he already thinks that he is top roo!

 

[Amer]

#2
I think he is handsome.
Pick for personality though. Polish can be flightier, though Silkies don't take care of a flock as well. Silkies have a crest like a Polish, so the Polish may be the same way. Never keep an agressive rooster. Cochins are generally friendly, but I don't know how they would take care of a flock. Mine had always stayed low profile in front of the other roosters. Our Silkies never knew enough to go back in the coop to roost.
If you are keeping them fenced in it won't matter.

 

[BreanneRN]

Oh, and if you want to rehome #6, I'll take that one... LOL... ( but seriously, I love Sillkies!)

 

[AnimalGeek23]

Omigosh, SUCH BEAUTIFUL BIRDS!
I have to pick more than one....
6, 3, 2

 

[BreanneRN]

Where are you located (East Coast, South, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, Pacific Coast)?

 

[tlynns]

#2
I think he is handsome.
Pick for personality though. Polish can be flightier, though Silkies don't take care of a flock as well. Silkies have a crest like a Polish, so the Polish may be the same way. Never keep an agressive rooster. Cochins are generally friendly, but I don't know how they would take care of a flock. Mine had always stayed low profile in front of the other roosters. Our Silkies never knew enough to go back in the coop to roost.
If you are keeping them fenced in it won't matter.

Does personality/aggressiveness inherit to the chicks at all? Naturally I wouldn't keep an aggressive roo... just wondering!

 

[tlynns]

Oh, and if you want to rehome #6, I'll take that one... LOL... ( but seriously, I love Sillkies!)

Haha!! I have no idea what I'm going to do with all of them yet! If all roosters were content with 2 hens and didn't care about sharing space I would just keep them all! They are so cute...
If you don't mind me asking.. why 6? (In my inexperienced opinion, he is the least cute! Lol!)

 

[tlynns]

Where are you located (East Coast, South, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, Pacific Coast)?

Pacific Ocean is the closest!

 

[tlynns]

Results so far:
#1, Black Crested White Polish: 4 votes
#2, Golden Laced Polish: 6 votes
#3, Millie Fluer D'Uccle: 5 votes
#4, Silver Penciled Cochin: 0 votes
#5, Buff Silkie: 3 votes
#6, Buff Silkie: 3 votes

 

[BreanneRN]

Great, let me know when I can pick up that ultra-mean, tiny, #6, reminds me of the one I had "back then"! I am in Central California... (you for sure won't want to keep that one)... Since he is least cute and all...