Araucana or Leghorn Roo?

[ChickonLand]

I'm pretty sure I have two roosters in my flock. An Araucana and Leghorn rooster. Which one should I keep? Any thoughts on both breeds' temperament?

 

[AlleysChicks]

Leghorns are flighty creatures. And I've noticed my boys were worse than my girl. Plus they have that huge comb that will be prone to frost bite.

I don't have any arauanas so I can't say on those.

I'd make a pros and cons list for them. Is either aggressive?

 

[Pork Pie]

Maybe it depends if you want future generations to be good layers or you want some blue / green eggs. If it's the former, then go for the leghorn. I've crossed a brown leghorn cock bird with an Araucana hen and have some fairly good layers of blue eggs.

 

[aart]

Temperament often has more to do with how the bird is handled/managed than the breed. Can be hard to assess when 2 are present, as multiple males can create an environment of competition, showing the worst behaviors of both.

Ken makes a very good point and that might be your first criteria.
What are your goals with chickens?
Where did your birds some from...breeders or hatchery?
Might question the Araucana if a hatchery bird, as it could be an EE.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It sounds like you don't have roosters but young immature cockerels. It's really hard to judge what their individual temperaments will be when they mature, even when you only have one. With two or more it gets a lot more complicated.

I'm not a great believer in "breed" temperament, especially when you only have one or two. That's not enough for averages to mean anything. To me the individual personality is much more important than breed tendencies. \

I agree with Aart and Ken, what are your goals? I cannot make any kind of suggestion until I know why you want a rooster and what you want out of him.

 

[lazy gardener]

As for Araucana, Ameraucana, or EE, I'm betting you have an EE. Araucana are rumpless, and not common at all. Ameraucana are bred to a standard of perfection which includes egg color, beards and muffs, and specific feather color that the breeder is isolating his birds for so that they breed true to colors which are part of the SOP. I have 2 Ameraucanas. Lovely birds. And I've had quite a few EE. Wonderful birds. IMO, EE are better layers. My avatar roo is an EE. He's a wonderful roo, passes on the blue egg gene. So, about 50% of his babies lay a green/aqua/olive egg.

What is your climate? If your winters are harsh, I'd keep the EE. If you are down south with hot summers and mild winters, the Leghorn would be a consideration. But, I'd let personality trump all other pros/cons.

 

[ChickonLand]

As for Araucana, Ameraucana, or EE, I'm betting you have an EE. Araucana are rumpless, and not common at all. Ameraucana are bred to a standard of perfection which includes egg color, beards and muffs, and specific feather color that the breeder is isolating his birds for so that they breed true to colors which are part of the SOP. I have 2 Ameraucanas. Lovely birds. And I've had quite a few EE. Wonderful birds. IMO, EE are better layers. My avatar roo is an EE. He's a wonderful roo, passes on the blue egg gene. So, about 50% of his babies lay a green/aqua/olive egg.

What is your climate? If your winters are harsh, I'd keep the EE. If you are down south with hot summers and mild winters, the Leghorn would be a consideration. But, I'd let personality trump all other pros/cons.

It sounds like you don't have roosters but young immature cockerels. It's really hard to judge what their individual temperaments will be when they mature, even when you only have one. With two or more it gets a lot more complicated.

I'm not a great believer in "breed" temperament, especially when you only have one or two. That's not enough for averages to mean anything. To me the individual personality is much more important than breed tendencies. \

I agree with Aart and Ken, what are your goals? I cannot make any kind of suggestion until I know why you want a rooster and what you want out of him.

Temperament often has more to do with how the bird is handled/managed than the breed. Can be hard to assess when 2 are present, as multiple males can create an environment of competition, showing the worst behaviors of both.

Ken makes a very good point and that might be your first criteria.
What are your goals with chickens?
Where did your birds some from...breeders or hatchery?
Might question the Araucana if a hatchery bird, as it could be an EE.

Maybe it depends if you want future generations to be good layers or you want some blue / green eggs. If it's the former, then go for the leghorn. I've crossed a brown leghorn cock bird with an Araucana hen and have some fairly good layers of blue eggs.

Leghorns are flighty creatures. And I've noticed my boys were worse than my girl. Plus they have that huge comb that will be prone to frost bite.

I don't have any arauanas so I can't say on those.

I'd make a pros and cons list for them. Is either aggressive?

Thanks for all the great advice!

My goal for keeping a roo is mostly to protect my hens. I have a smaller coop so I'm not keeping him only because I want more chicks, (our coop is pretty full right now). However, down the road I may want more chicks and I love the idea of having fun, colorful eggs.

So far the leghorn is flighty and the Araucana has tried to bit us a few times, but he's so little right now it does hurt or break skin.

I do agree about the Araucana... they're so rare it's probably an EE. I got these chicks as eggs from a family friend who had an Araucana and Dominque rooster at the time. My Barred Rock hen hatched them.

As for climate, my summers get as high as 110ºF and winters at night can get down to 20ºF. I live in the Sierra Foothills of Cali.

Overall, I'm leaning towards keeping the EE. I love the idea of carrying out a blue color egg gene. I just want to know if I can help them both be gentle and kind. Should I handle them or is there anything I should be doing to make them more friendly?

 

[Pork Pie]

Thanks for all the great advice!

My goal for keeping a roo is mostly to protect my hens. I have a smaller coop so I'm not keeping him only because I want more chicks, (our coop is pretty full right now). However, down the road I may want more chicks and I love the idea of having fun, colorful eggs.

So far the leghorn is flighty and the Araucana has tried to bit us a few times, but he's so little right now it does hurt or break skin.

I do agree about the Araucana... they're so rare it's probably an EE. I got these chicks as eggs from a family friend who had an Araucana and Dominque rooster at the time. My Barred Rock hen hatched them.

As for climate, my summers get as high as 110ºF and winters at night can get down to 20ºF. I live in the Sierra Foothills of Cali.

Overall, I'm leaning towards keeping the EE. I love the idea of carrying out a blue color egg gene. I just want to know if I can help them both be gentle and kind. Should I handle them or is there anything I should be doing to make them more friendly?

Maybe search "managing roosters" or something similar - you'll find many threads.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

If you end up wanting to keep both but don't have enough hens I suggest making a rooster flock. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rooster-flocks.1174877/

 

[lazy gardener]

Here's an excellent post written by Beekissed on rooster management. It's extremely important to start training a cockerel just as soon as you know his gender. And, even if you don't know a bird's gender, you should NEVER allow a chicken to be aggressive towards you or any other human, so same management style applies to either gender. That EE is biting you now. Time to take him in hand and see to it that he understands who his boss is.

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.