Adding my first rooster (Questions and Pricing)

[randomprecision]

Hi everyone, I am a new member of this forum but have been visiting very often to the forum and main website for nearly a year. We just got our first chickens a little over 2 months ago. I got 2 New Hampshires, 3 Ameraucana, 3 RIR, 3 Dark Brahmas, and now we also have 3 2 week old australorps because I have heard good things about them and really wanted some

I let them free range for most of the day, when I get up and when they put themselves up. We have 5 acres and we do have some predators, we have seen foxes and cayotes (I'm pretty sure I also saw a mountain lion but i'm not 100% sure because my dog chased it off while it was at the edge of the forrest, only saw a glimpse) but I'm mostly worried about hawks because my dog, although getting old and less active chases the other things away.

I'm wondering is a nice rooster worth it protection wise? I'm not really interested in raising many chicks but a few clutches now and then would be fun

Also I'm really interested in the social structures I have read about in chickens. I can't at the moment tell which of my pullets is the most dominant though... (Any good ways to tell? Or is it just obvious?)
Any way I found someone on craigslist not far from me and he has some black copper marans, his nicest rooster is just starting to crow, how much do the young roosters go for? I might also ask for a hen, so I might have some pure chicks. So i'm asking how much do the roosters go for seperately and how much for a pair? I haven't seen any pictures yet but he assures me that they are purebred. He said he wanted $40 but would take $30.

Sorry for so many question! Only one more I promise!
Does anyone know how to make a cheap and easy isolation coop? I have a little pen that I originally bought for my ferrets, its about 12 sq foot and 29" high and I use it for the chicks when they go outside to play. Could I convert this into a temporary isolation area?

Thank you so much everyone!

-Sofia

Here's some picture of my flock I would like to share

The Coop (Now filled with sand, and btw that big door is to the well house, the indoors area is split into 2 parts 1/2 well 1/2 coop):

Foraging:
Tweety:

The Brahmas (Not yet named

):

Pikachu:

Saphira (named after a dragon, she looks just like one, in a very pretty way!)

About to eat my moms garden

Now to the other side

Emmie our lab and an australorp chick

 

[kiran96]

One of your RIR is a rooster. As I saw in the picture that, it had sworls around it's back neck so in my experience, i think it's a male. You should keep a RIR rooster as they are beatiful and very protective of their flock.

 

[randomprecision]

Really? In what picture? I would have thought by now if she was she would have developed more obvious rooster-like characteristics? Like a wattles and a comb?

 

[kiran96]

Foraging:
Tweety:
In the second picture!

 

[ve]

It's a girl

 

[gryeyes]

I'm no expert, but I think Tweety is a girl.

 

[randomprecision]

Yeah I'm pretty sure she is a girl, plus she isn't a rhode island she's a new hampshire

Can anyone tell me if the price range of $75 dollars is good for a pair of black copper marans??

 

[sonjab314]

I have several BCM's that I paid $3-$5 each chick. I know one is a little roo because he already has copper in his feathering. I think the price varies as to their age and the area that you live in. There are several breeders in my area so the chicks aren't as expensive as they would be else where.

 

[randomprecision]

Well I found someone who sells 9 week old roosters for $5 dollars. I'm a bit skeptical though because of the high prices everyone else has been telling me

Do they really go so cheap?? Or is it probably a mutt? He's also giving his 3 week welsummers for free

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Cheap prices?

You cant sell them here.

Always see roos being given away on CL and local freecycle. Actually I got a young leghorn roo for free from freecycle. And I gave a BR roo away yesterday.