Which rooster do I keep?

[Steve Cady]

Things have settled a bit since the bloody battle that shifted the alpha. The new alpha rooster seems to consistently chase the less dominant one away as much as possible. Today, the less dominant one took a while to come out of the roost.

 

[Saveria]

A rooster that attacks kids could cause serious injuries. I wouldn't keep that one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

the less dominant rooster is likely to attack people (kids for sure, not adults so quickly, not me unless I move to quickly in the direction of the rooster) yet not the other hens. Which would you pick?

Attacking people is cause to get rid of it. I would never again trust him again. Attacking kids is reason to get rid if it now. Don't take the chance that the cockerel is going to permanently blind or otherwise injure a kid.

One rooster is dominant and is picking on the other one and to some degree the other hens.

It sounds like he is an immature cockerel, bot a fully mature rooster, and the girls are probably immature pullets, not mature hens. I don't know what this "picking on the other hens to some degree" looks like but it sounds a lot like typical juvenile behavior. It can be hard to watch because it can be violent but it is something they usually grow out of.

Which would you pick?

Why do you want a male? What are your goals for having a rooster? The only reason you need a rooster is for fertile eggs. Anything else is personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preference, I have a few of those myself, but those are a choice, not a need. I generally suggest you keep as few boys as you can and meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed to have problems with boys 0r more boys, just that the more boys you have the more likely you are to have problems. Like the problems you are having now.

Which would I pick? I'd immediately get rid of the one that threatens children, that choice is as easy as it gets.

 

[Sc_chickengirl]

LOL I do like them in general. I am just thinking about how they treat each other. The dominant one is really dominating the submission rooster to the point that it is staying further and further away in the coop, which is hard to do.

Yeah if he's not hurting the hens to much I might would go for the dominant one because you really don't want one that attacking you.

 

[3KillerBs]

However, the less dominant rooster is likely to attack people

I'd eat an aggressive one immediately. He's dangerous -- especially to kids, who could be blinded or maimed.

I'd get rid of them both and get a nicer rooster lol.

This is not a bad idea, especially if the cockerel and the pullets are the same age and especially if they are your first chickens.

I followed advice to keep a hen flock for a year before getting a male and then let the adult hens raise my boy up with good chicken manners and haven't regretted it.

No, the dominant one has never attacked a person and generally keeps a bit of distance from people.

This is a better choice then if you're going to keep one at all.