DParker75089
Songster
I don't know if this is the correct forum for this, but looking at the names of all the others I couldn't find one that sounded more appropriate, so....
I'm looking to replace the hyper-aggressive rooster that I just recently had to cull and thought I'd reach out for suggestions/opinions/critiques/jokes/whatever with regard to breeds, selection criteria, raising techniques, etc. Here are the details:
1. I have a small flock of 8 laying hens (2 BOs, 2 RIRs, 1 SLW, 1 WL, 1 EE and 1 BOxWL cross), with no plans for expansion beyond maybe adding 1 or 2 (at the most) at some point. And if I do so via eggs fertilized by the new guy I'm not particularly concerned with optimal genetics, so long as the result is likely to be something that's likely to be healthy and of at least average laying productivity (assuming female offspring, of course). I'm perfectly fine with mutts.
2. My reasons for wanting another rooster are:
4. I live in N. Central Texas (Ft. Worth area) where summers are long and hot, and winters can be surprisingly extreme given the latitude (this past winter was rather prolonged, and we had multiple days of temps below 20°F...which is not common, but does happen on occasion).
5. The flock is locked up at night in a pair of small coops that are both open to a completely enclosed chain-link fence run, but free ranges in the back yard (~10,000 sq ft) all day.
6. My plan is to acquire a bird as young as possible (but old enough to be reliably sexed, of course) so that it grows up with the flock and us, in the hopes that this results in a rooster that is used to and at ease with people. If this thinking is flawed, I'd appreciate feedback on it.
7. While I'm not particularly concerned about aesthetics, my wife would like it if I got a "pretty rooster", with that being defined as something close to the stereotypical brightly colored plumage so common in artistic depictions of farm animals, like this one:
If you've made it this far...I understand that some of these criteria might be at odds with one another to some degree, and that there likely will be some compromising/balancing between them required. So...what say ye?
I'm looking to replace the hyper-aggressive rooster that I just recently had to cull and thought I'd reach out for suggestions/opinions/critiques/jokes/whatever with regard to breeds, selection criteria, raising techniques, etc. Here are the details:
1. I have a small flock of 8 laying hens (2 BOs, 2 RIRs, 1 SLW, 1 WL, 1 EE and 1 BOxWL cross), with no plans for expansion beyond maybe adding 1 or 2 (at the most) at some point. And if I do so via eggs fertilized by the new guy I'm not particularly concerned with optimal genetics, so long as the result is likely to be something that's likely to be healthy and of at least average laying productivity (assuming female offspring, of course). I'm perfectly fine with mutts.
2. My reasons for wanting another rooster are:
- Protection for the hens
- We actually like the occasional bit of crowing, as do our neighbors (believe it or not)
4. I live in N. Central Texas (Ft. Worth area) where summers are long and hot, and winters can be surprisingly extreme given the latitude (this past winter was rather prolonged, and we had multiple days of temps below 20°F...which is not common, but does happen on occasion).
5. The flock is locked up at night in a pair of small coops that are both open to a completely enclosed chain-link fence run, but free ranges in the back yard (~10,000 sq ft) all day.
6. My plan is to acquire a bird as young as possible (but old enough to be reliably sexed, of course) so that it grows up with the flock and us, in the hopes that this results in a rooster that is used to and at ease with people. If this thinking is flawed, I'd appreciate feedback on it.
7. While I'm not particularly concerned about aesthetics, my wife would like it if I got a "pretty rooster", with that being defined as something close to the stereotypical brightly colored plumage so common in artistic depictions of farm animals, like this one:
If you've made it this far...I understand that some of these criteria might be at odds with one another to some degree, and that there likely will be some compromising/balancing between them required. So...what say ye?
