Choosing a cockerel to keep. Is more than one a mistake?

[AddCHICKtion]

We have three beautiful cockerels and are being asked to keep only one (city rules state the number of roosters allowed is "a reasonable" number... someone in the neighborhood decided that number was one).

We kept these birds around initially for the eye candy but now are thinking that they have the ability to add some color to future flock members and that they are good at keeping the girls in line. We don't intend to become "breeders"--just periodically augment our flock as necessary.

We are considering ways to keep all three cockerels. Is this just ridiculous? I realize that the birds are young and am wondering if any more experienced folks with roosters can weigh in. Do tame chickens grow into their aggression at some point?

Here are the factors we are weighing:
1. All three birds are incredibly tame (still roost on my kids' shoulders).
2. All three birds are gorgeous but of unknown blends. Here are pictures from a few weeks ago (I will try to update on a less cloudy day)
"pessa" (left)

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"alpha" (middle) note the V-comb...

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"lav" (right)

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3. Only one bird crows (Alpha)
4. Alpha keeps order in the flock
5. Lav thinks he is a she (sits in the nest box)
6. Pessa seems to hold up the middle of the flock (we have 11 birds total--Auracana, EE, RIR, Australorp, Blue Orp, 2 indeterminate pullets that are VERY attached to Alpha)
7. It would be awesome to pass along some of the top hat genes to future chicks
8. These juvies are roughly 16 weeks old as of this posting.

Anyone have words of reason to pass along? I'd surely love some guidance.

 

[RoosterAddict99]

I have 11 roosters and couldn't possibly part with any of them! They all share a coop with my 21 hens at the moment and get along really well. I've never had a problem with any aggresion with people and fighting amoungnst themselves over hens or territory is extremely rare. The only problem I had, the hens didn't lay for months, probably because they were constantly being mated. I'm building a bacheler pad for them so the hens can lay consistantly without interuption by the roosters. With only 3 roosters I'd say it is very possible to keep them all so, if you can convince your niehborhood to accept them, I say go for it!!! Roosters are awesome to have and your birds are especially pretty, they would make great breeders! Good luck!!!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I have an "Alpha" in my flock too


I have 5 roos in my flock of 17, they do ok they are 19 wks and 15 wks and they are still working out who is boss amoung 2 of the roos hopefully they figure it out soon so the feather pulling out will stop, if not then I may need to either seperate( no second coop built ) or find a new home for one or two and I dont know if I can part with any I like my roos, they are so protective, I love to watch them as they all free range the 2 higher roos will find a place up high( funny that they are both bantams) and spend awhile looking out and sounding any alarms and if they hear anyone get hurt or fight oh boy do they high tail it to the scene to check it out all important and chest puffed out like a cop (OOPS)