Choice of rooster

[UrbanSilkies]

Hi,

I am planning to eventually get a rooster, possibly next winter, and am trying to choose a breed. I want a rooster of a breed that would give 6-7 eggs a week, and a decently large bird (think delaware). I would also like the breed to be docile. The reason why I am not sure which breed to chose is because I like a lot of diversity in chickens, ans would like the offsprings to be diverse as well. My hens are all mixes, but for example, one breeder from whom I've purchased many hatching eggs has a plymouth rock rooster and different breeds of hens. All the chicks look somewhat like a plymouth rock. I don't know much about chicken genetics, so I don't know if a Delaware rooster would give delaware-looking offsprings even if crossed with mixed hens. Most of my current hens come from a cross between a Delaware rooster (that wasn't pure. He had some brown patches) and red sexlinks. The offspring were various colours - some looked like delawares, others were white with brown patches, others were darker brown with some black, and some were white and a peach colour. I like being able to identify every chicken, so would a pure Delaware rooster work for this, or would the white gene dominate the others? What other breeds would you guys recommend?

Thanks!

 

[MissNutmeg]

Well, first off, roosters don't lay eggs.
Second, if you want a docile breed of rooster, on my opinion, then Buff Orpingtons are the way to go.

 

[UrbanSilkies]

I know roosters don't lay eggs, which is why I said "of a breed that would lay 6-7 eggs a week". As in the rooster has the genetics for that, so that my hens would lay well since their mothers lay pretty much 7 days a week. I've had roosters before, but only silkies and other mixes.

 

[UrbanSilkies]

How often do buff orpigntons typically lay eggs?

 

[MissNutmeg]

I apologize about the misinterpretation....

Buff Orpingtons are on the top ten best laying breeds, so, they lay about 180 eggs a year per hen.
There is also the Leghorn, 250 eggs a year, although they are not a docile breed.

 

[UrbanSilkies]

It's fine

I do love the look of blue orpigntons, so I'll definitely consider an orpignton rooster. Do you know how I can know which colours are dominant?

 

[TheChickenQueen]

My best roosters were splash orpingtons, their sisters might not have laid as much as hatchery orps but they are the kindest, gentlest roosters. Plus they gave me a lot of gorgeous blue chicks with most of my hens being black or barred.

 

[UrbanSilkies]

I love splash coloured chickens. My favourite silkie was a splash. Unfortunately, I haven't found any breeders with those colours nearby. With orpigntons, I've only seen one breeder who has blue ones, but she was just starting out. Most chicken breeders near me have only sex-links, bantams, or random mixes. I am fine with mixes as well, which might be the best way to make sure the chicks aren't all the same

 

[donrae]

Black is a dominant color. Australorps, barred Rocks...you're going to get mostly black (or black barred) chicks. So, probably not what you want.

buff is a fun color to play with genetically, it's very complex and when you mix it with other colors you can get a wide variety of colors in the offspring.
The most common buff breed is the Orpington, and hatchery birds lay decently well. Not as great as sex links or Rocks, but okay.

Since you have a lot of silver in your current flock, I'd look at a gold based rooster for the next generation, unless you really like the silver/white. For variety, I'd go with something partridge, wheaten or black breasted red. Myself, I love Easter eggers so that's probably what I'd be looking for, but you're not me

. See what's available locally and I'm thinking some bird will just catch your eye, no matter the breed.

Where are you located? Putting that in your profile can help a lot, especially when you say you're looking for birds.

 

[UrbanSilkies]

Black is a dominant color. Australorps, barred Rocks...you're going to get mostly black (or black barred) chicks. So, probably not what you want. 

buff is a fun color to play with genetically, it's very complex and when you mix it with other colors you can get a wide variety of colors in the offspring. 
The most common buff breed is the Orpington, and hatchery birds lay decently well. Not as great as sex links or Rocks, but okay. 

Since you have a lot of silver in your current flock, I'd look at a gold based rooster for the next generation, unless you really like the silver/white. For variety, I'd go with something partridge, wheaten or black breasted red. Myself, I love Easter eggers so that's probably what I'd be looking for, but you're not me  . See what's available locally and I'm thinking some bird will just catch your eye, no matter the breed. 

Where are you located? Putting that in your profile can help a lot, especially when you say you're looking for birds. 

Thank you! I no longer have the silkies, if that's what you mean by silver, but I do have one splash easter egger, one (unknown mix) purpley grey hen, and one delaware x red star cross that looks like a delaware. The other hens are different shades of brown.

I am in the southern end of Ontario, Canada. I will probably get my rooster during the fall because we will be moving to the countryside this summer and will be getting goats, which will take up my time.