Breeding Compatibility and Rooster Identification

[mraliks]

Find a breeder that breeds brown leghorns, or from a hatchery. From where did you get your current leghorns?

Thank you all for the wealth of advice. Our current flock was from an online hatchery, there is a min order on qty so that is why I was hoping to ask about alternate options. If I have 5-10 roosters to pick from, how do you go about selecting the best out of that batch? What characteristics should I be looking at?

 

[fluffycrow]

Thank you all for the wealth of advice. Our current flock was from an online hatchery, there is a min order on qty so that is why I was hoping to ask about alternate options. If I have 5-10 roosters to pick from, how do you go about selecting the best out of that batch? What characteristics should I be looking at?

Since males don't produce eggs, you'll have to go based on how much they adhere to the SOP. Temperament is also important. The SOP should give general guidelines as to how the breed should behave, however

 

[Folly's place]

We select for good temperament first, no human aggression, not nasty to flockmates. No physical defects, equally important. Then correct structure and type for the breed, according to the SOP. If you aren't selecting for show, more flexability there if necessary.
Removing cockerels is a gradual process; obvious losers go first, then watch the possibles over more time, and get down to maybe two really nice ones.
This year we had five cockerels, and recently sent three of them, all nice, but not as nice as the keepers, to a local auction, where they were bought by people who liked them for their flocks. Nasty boys go to the freezer, not resale as flock members!
Mary