Bourbon Red breeder selection

[beanmcnulty]

OK! So this is the first year I actually have enough BRs to select breeders. I can't find any threads comparable to the breed threads over on the chicken pages (if there is one for BRs please direct me!). I know I am looking for color and size, the darker the red the better, but are there any other things equally or almost as important on these guys? I do seem to have a decent bit of variation in size and color, some are from Eagle Nest hatchery and some out of my locally sourced birds (2 different farms). Any help appreciated, I am going to start looking early as possible before november (when the culls will go obviously) The birds are currently about 4 months old and getting their darker adult feathers. I think I am going to keep my older Tom, unless there is a better guy, or I could keep 2, but they might not get along. And I have to choose 3 females to keep out of about 10.
Thanks!!

 

[Narragansett]

Buy a copy of the Standard of Perfection from the American Poultry Association. That should be your ultimate guide on what to choose for. Four months old is still very young to tell how they will develop as adults, other than obvious defects.

 

[frank53061]

I will be having the same problem sorting threw my 17 Red Bourbons soon on what to sell and what to eat and what to keep for breeding there are a lot of things that will come into play when making my choices.
I think I will use 3 things to make my choice for breeders The biggest the healthiest and the most social.
Any other suggestions to use as far as choosing breeders ?.
Almost forgot my Daughter has picked out a Hen she calls here sweat Pea and a tom she calls Tom that I am expected to keep the Hen is the friendliest one as well as the Tom and hes a big one as well so I think those are a sure thing.
I just have to pick out one more Tom and 3 more Hens for breeders.

 

[chicken pickin]

At what age is a good age to start making your selection? We have 5 Bourbons reds they are only 11 weeks old. We have 3 toms and 2 hens. I was thinking about letting one tom go( doing a trade to someone thats looking for a tom and Id take some hens) I dont want to let one of my toms go to quickly though as I dont know out of the 3 which are the better 2 to keep. Id like to keep all 3 but I know the 3:2 ratio is prob not a good idea. I was thinking of going by the best looking, darkest, biggest, most friendly toms.

 

[beanmcnulty]

I will be making final selections at 7 months so I hope that is old enough! I can already see there will be some toughies, there is one hen who looks to be the darkest but she also might be the smallest The young toms (from this spring) are already as large as the year old hen that I have so they are pretty big at this point. I can't seem to find much on what the SOP says for them other than snippets on wikipedia says so I guess I just need to break down and buy one