Advice for which rooster I should get

[my4sonsCSGE]

I'd like to preface with we are raising chickens for dual purpose, eggs and meat. With my husband finally retired from the military, we are in our forever home on a beautiful 4 acres of land. We can begin our homesteading dream. We've had chickens in the past strictly for eggs: mixed flock of Orpingtons, Ameraucana, Plymouths, and Wyandottes. I would also like to add we know nothing about chicken genetics. I've settled on the breeds I'd like to get for dual purpose birds: Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, and Delaware's. We want keep a rooster as well so we can hatch out our own eggs. My question is, which breed of roo will do well with the above listed hens? Thank you for your responses!

 

[chickenhappy1233]

most breeds of rooster will do well with them. are you looking for a large breed, a protective breed, or something else. if your birds free range i would suggest something like a rhode island red

 

[human1]

most breeds of rooster will do well with them. are you looking for a large breed, a protective breed, or something else.

I think for hatching chicks, but they could be for protection too

 

[black_cat]

BR roos have a bit of an aggressive reputation, and I'm biased against orps, so I'd go with delaware. An added bonus is that delawares are suuuper handsome!!!

 

[chickenhappy1233]

BR roos have a bit of an aggressive reputation, and I'm biased against orps, so I'd go with delaware. An added bonus is that delawares are suuuper handsome!!!

x2, delawares are a good option

 

[Aapomp831]

If you mate your Delaware’s with a Rhode Island Red rooster, you will get red sex linked chicks. You’ll know the sex at birth and will have dual purpose layers that you can sell. People pay good money for sex linked production Reds.

 

[human1]

BR roos have a bit of an aggressive reputation, and I'm biased against orps, so I'd go with delaware. An added bonus is that delawares are suuuper handsome!!!

that image isnt related to what you just said, was it?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

That's a tough question to answer. From what I've read and learned, each bird is different in their own individual way and they don't care about their breed temperament description (i promise that i am not being a smarta**). Oftentimes a cockerel that is raised alongside pullets will seem a bit bully like since they're generally larger and sexually mature before the pullets. If you can find a cockerel that's been raised by some older hens, you will have more of a chance in getting a gentleman, but that's not always the case. You and your family will also need to be confident in the way you act around a cockerel because that can have a lot to do with the way he acts as well. I ruined two cockerels (now roosters) by my inexperience (aka stupidity) and after learning, i still can't get them to be nice.

I bring all of this up to say, for many of us (ME) there's more to it than the breed. Some people are lucky in the fact that they've never dealt with a jerk cockerel or rooster, but most have and if i could go back, i would have studied so much more before i got cockerels. I wish you the very best. You've chose some gorgeous breeds. I absolutely LOVE my Barred Rocks and Buff Orpington (my barred rock rooster is one of the jerks i mentioned, but goodness gracious, he is so handsome, especially since his first molt!!!)

 

[black_cat]

that image isnt related to what you just said, was it?

I didn't fully look at it......what was it? I use copy and paste for a lot of my images as they use the screenshot feature on my computer, and right now my 'p' key is broken, so I have to copy and paste every 'p'. I forgot to recopy a p after doing the pic, so it pasted instead. I removed it from the actual inline post, but forgot to remove the attachment. I edited to remove it.

 

[human1]

I didn't fully look at it......what was it? I use copy and paste for a lot of my images as they use the screenshot feature on my computer, and right now my 'p' key is broken, so I have to copy and paste every 'p'. I forgot to recopy a p after doing the pic, so it pasted instead. I removed it from the actual inline post, but forgot to remove the attachment. I edited to remove it.

yikes, that must be hard
i think it was a pic of a draft you were writing on the 'farmyard chatter' thread or somehting?