Another blue roo question? Which to keep? [PICS ADDED]

[jossanne]

I have 10 blue bantam cochins, 7 weeks old. There are 5 males and 5 females. I will keep 4 of the females and 1 male. I'm trying to decide which of the little cockerels I want to keep.

Two of the cockerels are dark blue, almost black. Two of them are a medium blue with a little lacing. One is a lighter blue with what looks to be really nice lacing developing.

I love the looks of the more laced little guy, but we've grown attached to one of the little dark blue ones. I would love to keep them both, but 2 roos is just going to be too many with 4 hens.

So who to keep? Who will produce prettier babies with blue girls? A dark blue or a laced, lighter blue?

 

[jossanne]

Any input anyone?

 

[speckledhen]

My advice is to keep the best body type, then worry about lacing, etc. That is usually the hardest to get right and color is a bit easier, IMO.

 

[Godiva]

Can you post some pics on here so we can see them, at least the two you really like?

 

[jossanne]

My camera is awful right now. It's old, and it's letting in too much light, so I'm having a hard time getting accurate color on my boys' pictures. But you can get a pretty good idea of body shape. These guys are only 7 weeks old, so it's hard to judge their shape yet. The lighter blue one is still feathering in, and that doesn't help his shape at all.

Anyway, with that said, here they are. We'll start with the light one.

And now the dark one.

 

[jossanne]

Wow, looking at the pictures, right now the dark one has much better shape, doesn't he.

 

[ksacres]

I would keep the best two typed as well. Color is highly variable, but good type is your best bet. I would keep two just in case something happens to the first one you won't be scrambling to find another rooster.

 

[Msbear]

Yeah, if they were brought up together, they would probably be fine to keep together indefinitely. If you're worried about extra noise, another roo won't be that extra

My roos in different pens, have a bit of a crow-off sometimes but the ones in the same coop seem like they crow less (back and fourth wise) ...does that make sense?

I'd keep two. best type birds....color can come later.

 

[jossanne]

I'm not worried about extra noise as we live in a rural area. I just worry about too many cockerels for 4 little pullets. I don't want them bald and miserable from too much attention.

 

[thecochincoop]

From your pics I would keep the dark one. He looks like he will develop into a nice bird.