A choice of cocks

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Is that a real Cemani? I thought their Legs must be Black, too...

 

[aart]

Is that a real Cemani? I thought their Legs must be Black, too...

I noticed that too...probably not a great lineage.
Feet look swollen too....and that one toe looks broken.
But this is a 'pet rescue' situation.....so<shrugs>.

 

[Mrs. K]

The black one has a crooked toe, and looks old to me. That toe might cause problems with your hen's backs, but maybe not.

I vote no roosters. I do not recommend getting any bird I feel sorry for, roosters are a crap shoot, and any can become aggressive.

A bird that is already 3 years old, is old. I know some people raise really old birds, but a lot of birds, this will be quite near the end of his natural life.

I would not want the real young bird either, but if he has been raised in a flock of layers, maybe. Those roosters tend to be better roosters.

But if you are happy with your flock, and you don't want chicks, and you keep your birds confined, I vote no to both.

MrsK

 

[ChocolateMouse]

If you're dedicated to getting at least one rooster and you're asking which would be less of a hassle just look at that "cemani". Bad breeding, swollen feet, twisted toe, shaggy feathers and half blind? That's a dead chicken waiting to happen IMO. In my flock that chicken would be a cull, in a pet flock that chicken smacks to me of vet bills and a shorter lifespan.

The sussex looks healthy. If you want a rooster from this location I would get the little boy, give him the 30 day quarantine to grow out for a month away from the ladies so he's a size he won't be picked on as much, and then integrate slowly. Bonus, if you ever decide to hatch eggs then they match.

 

[DeutschHühner]

Thank you for all your suggestions and advice! After much deliberation, we have reached the unfortunate conclusion that we are not in a good place right now to add to our flock. The main reason being that we just found out that our area puts an hourly restriction on crowing, which is pretty asinine in my opinion, as though roosters can read. While we have room in our coop and pen and in our hearts, our neighborhood is designed such that our lots are uncomfortably close together and our neighbors... well, let's just say the people in this little corner of Germany are extremely likely to pitch a fit and not in a tactful, neighborly way. You may be asking yourself, "With neighbors like that, why should you care what they think?" Or at least, I asked myself that question. Not that we aren't good neighbors, but I'd be fully prepared to yell back at them in perfect English (that they wouldn't understand a word of)... but we share our house with my in-laws and they tend to worry more about appearances. Plus we're currently in litigation with one neighbor over their overgrown, unkept lot and trees encroaching onto our property, so probably best not to give them any fuel for a counter complaint. It might have all worked out okay but with our luck lately, probably not. I hope someday we can move somewhere with more free space. I feel I have a future in taking in unwanted animals. Nochmals vielen Dank und ich wünche ihnen einen schönen Frühling!