choosing Bared Rock rooster to breed

[CanadaEh]

I need to reduce now 5 BR ~25 week old roosters to just 1 for breeding with 7 hens. Of the 5 roosters:
#1 the largest/fattest one has crooked tows - not keeping him
#2&3 couple of other ones has yellow legs/feet (which I believe is the standard), but the feet are kind of small for the rooster sizes.
#4 the 4th rooster has normal size pale/pinkish legs/feet but is not a very big rooster
#5 the last rooster is big and slim and has monstrous size pale/pinkish feet, and also an odd dark feather on the neck.

What rooster should I choose to keep? The #5 would seem to be perfect at protecting the flock, but how much should I concern about not adhering to breed standards as to leg color and possibly some mixed genes manifested as an odd dark feather?

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

4 or 5 maybe?

 

[AlleysChicks]

What’s your goals? Just a roo to run with the girls? Are you going to hatch chicks? If so are you breeding for pure blood quality chicks that meet the standards? Or just random chicks for a few bucks? This is what I’d base my decision on then choose your boy.

 

[The Moonshiner]

From the limited info I'd keep 2 or 3 but that's just me.
You need to decide what's important to you and select accordingly.

 

[CanadaEh]

What’s your goals? Just a roo to run with the girls? Are you going to hatch chicks? If so are you breeding for pure blood quality chicks that meet the standards? Or just random chicks for a few bucks? This is what I’d base my decision on then choose your boy.

the goal is to increase the flock size from 7 to 30 chickens by incubating their eggs in the spring and sell some chicks and pullets to offset feed costs. I am not sure by how much or if it all breeding to standard will be a plus other than own amusement and bragging rights.

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

Then 2 or 3?

 

[AlleysChicks]

the goal is to increase the flock size from 7 to 30 chickens by incubating their eggs in the spring and sell some chicks and pullets to offset feed costs. I am not sure by how much or if it all breeding to standard will be a plus other than own amusement and bragging rights.

then I would do 2 or 3. Pic the better of that option to breed with your girls.

 

[123RedBeard]

While crooked toes is not gonna win you any show ribbons, they usually are not inherited, but an incubator problem.

Are you looking more for egg laying rocks, or meat producing rocks?

Hard to judge what a young cockrell will turn out to be ... they may fill out more, and their final adult molt may change feathers ...

I would not keep any pink legged plymouth rocks though ... while a laying female can loose some yellow, due to egg laying ... the male shouldn't!

If your looking for a quicker growing bird to eat, I'd keep #1, and breed him to the largest three hens ...

More importantly than leg color is leg stance ... are they set wide apart? Do they have a wide back, and wide tail set?

 

[Folly's place]

Also, temperament; any showing human aggression, or too rough on the pullets? Then, good size and structure, and pink legs are dominant over yellow, so avoid that for BRs.
Mary

 

[CanadaEh]

Are you looking more for egg laying rocks, or meat producing rocks?

while I thought of BR being DP as a bonus in terms of culling excess roosters and older hens, based on recent butchering at ~25 weeks (great flavor, but not much meat at 3.5lb dressed skinless) I would not deliberately want to breed for bigger birds - egg laying it is. Does it mean I should select smaller roosters?

More importantly than leg color is leg stance ... are they set wide apart? Do they have a wide back, and wide tail set?

by wide leg stance you mean broiler-like (extra wide apart and parallel to each other) vs A-frame like?