Choosing Which Rooster to Keep

[getaclue]

Surely someone looking to upgrade a line, is going to build a predator proof enclosure. The reason for the second has more to to with traits, bloodline, and a spare in case of illness.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-weather-coops.72760/

 

[getaclue]

I've since added a triple strand of hot wire. The posts are about 3 feet tall. This helps keep out raccoons, opossums, foxes, coyotes, dogs, etc. It's not a stun gun, and several of the animals had to get jolted a few times, before they gave up, but they did give up.

 

[CreveChris]

What state are you in?

Florida, same as Greenfire Farms.

 

[CreveChris]

Surely someone looking to upgrade a line, is going to build a predator proof enclosure. The reason for the second has more to to with traits, bloodline, and a spare in case of illness.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-weather-coops.72760/

Read it, love it, will try to replicate its genius!

Noise levels will increase some with age. For the most part, mine are fairly predictable with their crowing. They crow just before daybreak, between 5 - 5:30 am. This goes on for about 45 minutes, give or take. They will crow when a hen does her egg song. They may crow if something large flies over the coop/run. They crow when I go out to care for them, and spend time with them. Not obnoxiously so, but the ones in the next section sound off to remind me not to forget them. They crow some a short time before it starts to rain.

When the sun sets, and they settle in for the night, they don't crow unless they hear a neighbor's rooster(s) crowing, or as a signal that something is wrong. When my roosters crow at night, I pay attention. If they're crowing in response to a neighbor's rooster(s), which isn't too often, I disregard. If they continue, and/or it's not in response to a neighbor's rooster, I check my coop. Usually it means a predator is lurking, even if I don't see it, or it ran off when it heard my approach.

You should get used to the crowing, and what some of the variations mean. My roosters sound different when crowing along with a hen singing her egg song, than when warning about a predator.

I don't get to sleep in due to my Huskies, so a rooster crowing in the morning doesn't bother me. In fact, a neighbor lost their rooster and I miss it.

My concern is the sort of nonsense I heard all day long while visiting another country where cock fighting was legal. I felt so sorry for those roosters.

But I realize I've rarely lived in the vicinity of more than one rooster.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[CreveChris]

@getaclue gave excellent advice and I agree that the APA SOP is a good book to have but if you can find the standard for the breed online, you won't need the SOP book.
So if I understand correctly, you have 2 cockerels and 5 pullets. Is that correct?
Noise levels only get bad for a bit in the morning when they all decide to crow at the same time, but probably not as bad as the same number of barking dogs that usually have higher decibel levels than roosters.
Will the roosters crowing bother anyone but you? I really can't hear 10 to 20 roosters crowning when in my house unless I have every window open. My coops range from 120 to 150 feet from my house. Two are even closer to one of my neighbors house and they didn't know I had chickens till I told them I did. Realize that a rooster's crow is quieter than weed eaters, lawn mowers. roofing guns, barking dogs, boom boxes, motorcycles, loud mufflers, train whistles and all sorts of other sounds of civilization. It is just that people are more accustomed to those.
Noise aside, I suggest you use this time while they are growing to start building more housing. At a minimum, you'll need one setup for a bachelor pad. One or two for grow out. And for even more accelerated improvement, several smaller units in the form of breeder units so you can identify which egg comes from which hen. That way you can pedigree all the chicks, track their progress and identify your primary breeders as well as all their offspring.
As was said, start weighing the birds and establish a spreadsheet or other means to track weights. The standard weights for Crevecoeur range from 5.5 to 7 lbs.. That should be easily within reach.
You'll also need a good incubator. Or two, one used as a hatcher so you can more easily stagger hatches.
At 8 weeks, your chicks won't be laying eggs for 3 to 4 more months. Since they'll be reaching laying age, it will be well after summer solstice (which is tomorrow) and they will be maturing at a time of year when daylight, vis a vis darkness, is decreasing the fastest. So if you want to accelerate your breeding program and not wait till next year for your next generation of chicks, I would plan on adding light to the coop by the end of October. Otherwise they may not lay till January or later. If you do so, put the light on a timer and add about 20 to 30 minutes daily light per week in the morning before dawn. Doing so, they should lay by the end of November. For a breeding program, you don't want to hatch pullet eggs. Wait till they get bigger by perhaps a month after laying commences.

Am I overwhelming you yet?

This all also requires that you keep them alive and in good health. The best way to do that is absolute predator proof housing and excellent ventilation. Forget what you've read about eliminating drafts. It is nonsense. A chicken can forage all day in frigid windy conditions. I'd call that a draft. Chickens can live in a tree. I can't keep a draft out of a tree.
What they can't live without is oxygen. Bad air can kill a chicken as easily as a raccoon in darkness. I've been raising Mediterranean breeds in buildings with huge 2X4' windows on both east and west walls with wind blowing right across the roost in temps to well below zero. The lowest was -19F and I never lost a bird.
As a crested breed, they will be vulnerable to predation, especially aerial predators.
The other thing that will help, and you can start now, is focusing on optimal nutrition - especially for chicks and breeders beginning a couple weeks prior to hatching egg collection. That will require paying special attention to amino acid and fat soluble vitamin content. Free ranging is OK but avoid the temptation to treat excessively, especially scratch grains. Feed is already mostly grain.
I can give you numbers for amino acid, vitamin and mineral content if you would like - after you've recovered from being overwhelmed.

I'm not overwhelmed! This is perfect. I have read the confirmation of the breed to the point of understanding the French earlobe is not a mismark with Crevecoeurs.

I paid a premium for French descendant chicks and am looking for a Silkie to raise my first gen chicks.

My (probably) cockerels are among my most beautiful and conforming chickens, so I'm considering a bachelor pad.

These gorgeous birds deserve a lovely coop/complex and I have the acreage. I'm currently using a tractor coop with hardware cloth with a chicken wire floor (which our thick grass pokes through), but can see the value in building a breezy permanent coop in our near-tropical First Coast climate. Water moccasins and rat snakes are relocated, but I've prepared for their presence.

Thank you for all your help!

 

[CreveChris]

If there's a breed club, look it up and consider joining.
Your breeding goals are important, and may change a bit over time, don't feel bad if it happens to you!
In many breeds, 'show breeders', who want birds that can win at poultry shows, may or may not share your goals. Many of them don't care at all about egg production, for example, if the birds are pretty. If you want birds who actually can do what the breed was meant to do, that may not fit your plans. Dual purpose birds won't lay as many eggs as a production Leghorn, or grow as meaty as a Cornishx, but they should still be useful!
Mary

Yes, I compare it to my Husky breeder, who has been winning confirmation since the 50s, but quietly introduced a winning Finnish sled dog to the line because she still values the working purpose of the breed. Our two are the best Siberian Huskies, and dogs in general, we've ever known. Our petite female could easily pull a tractor.

Likewise, I would love to produce a bird any farm to table restaurant would pay a premium for, regardless of beauty. Of course, as a fiber artist, I save every molted feather because they are fabulous. And my chickens are gorgeous beyond my dreams.

 

[CreveChris]

When cockerels reach the age where they're getting ready to assume roosterly type duties, they can get an overload of hormones. By this time, you should be pretty well set in which ones you're going to keep, and which pullets/hens you're going to pair them with. You may already have each of them established in with their respective flock. This would be the time you change a bit of your habits in the coop situation. Always walk straight up to the cockerel/rooster, and get him moving out of your way. Don't chase him, just walk, and get him moving away from you. Then continue with coop chores.

At some point, one of the cockerels may challenge you. NO, it does not necessarily mean it's going to be human aggressive. It means it's overloaded with hormones, instead of good sense. The very first time this happens, get a "rooster stick". It can be a broom handle, a long piece of 1 x 3, a sturdy stick. The rooster stick is not to hurt him with, but to increase your reach. Your arms are only so long. Immediately, go straight up to him, and tap him, not too hard, on the butt. You are training, not trying to hurt him. As he moves out of your way, keep the pressure on. Continue following him. If he slows down, tap his butt again. Don't worry about the pullet/hen commotion. Keep him moving out of your way, for a few minutes. Don't overtire him. Now, let him come to a stop. Is he giving you stink eye? Is he putting more weight on one foot? If so, get him moving again for a few minutes. Now, go into the coop area, like you're going to do chores. Walk around a little more, then leave the coop/run, making sure he does NOT try to sneak up behind you. Repeat this for about a week. Now, you should be able to go into the coop/run, walk over to him, and he'll move out of your way, then you can do normal coop activities. He should resume doing chicken things, like scratching the ground, calling his hens, etc. You should be able to walk quickly behind him, and catch him, at least once a week, then set him down, and he goes off, to resume his normal activities.

Once you've done this, at this age, things usually go fine, and you can safely do coop chores without concern. There should be no more aggression with one exception. I would NOT grab any of the hens, to check them over, without him being penned. I check mine over routinely. I dust them if needed, worm as needed, etc. There is always going to be that one hen, that sounds like she's about to be tortured, or killed when you first pick her up. Even if she settles down, the squawks can, and will trigger a cockerel/rooster. It's their JOB to protect their ladies. I always start with the cockerel/rooster. Once, I'm finished with him, I pen him up, so he can't get to me. I have a door between my coop, and run. It's easy to finish with him, then put him in the coop, shut the door, and continue with the females in the run. A dog crate works well for this too. Normally, because he's experienced it first, even when the hens initially fuss, and he's in "protect" mode, he will quickly settle down when the hen does, and he sees you're doing the same thing to them that you did to him. Once you are done, checking them over, worming, dusting, etc. and you are finished with the last pullet/hen, he can come back out. He won't hold a grudge.

Wow, this is wise. I've begun moving Michele the Cockerel First and problems with him are zero now. He pitches a fit in the pen while I allow his flock, including two other cockerels, to hop into my hand to transition to the pen where Michele is waiting.

I believe the cockerels will remain in a separate coop while I establish my pullets, which are too few. The cockerels are too gorgeous and valuable to cull or rehome.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Remember that huskies have a high prey drive and love to kill chickens.
Keep the cockerels in a bachelor pad, preferably out of sight of the pullets and there will be less squabbling if there are no girls to fight over.
The pullets will benefit from not being piled on.
Feeding will be easier when they are separated by 8-10 weeks.
Eventually, you'll want to cut back protein on the cockerels when they approach full size. Likely that will be about 15 weeks and they can be cut back to 13-15% protein.
The pullets can stay on about 18%.

 

[getaclue]

I've always given Manna Pro Gamebird/Showbird feed, 24% protein, until the pullets reach point of lay. Just before they get ready to lay, I switch to Purina Flock Raiser 20% protein feed, and give oyster shell on the side. The higher protein was great for growing them out, but I found it to be a bit too much once they were laying. It interfered with their laying. After speaking with a few of the breeders, at some of the shows, several of the better breeders were talking about how the 20% seems to work just as good. The batch I'm raising now, are on Purina Flock Raiser feed at 20% protein.

The females I was NOT going to show, but wanted eating eggs from, I put on Manna Pro Layer crumbles when they began laying. It's 16% protein, and I had used it for years. A couple years ago, I noticed a big drop in production. Another problem seems to be more connected with the Florida granary they use, but during the summer, the crumbles were half crumbles, half flour. It was bad enough, I returned several bags to the feed store. The owner, and I got into a discussion about it. He said he too had used the Manna Pro Layer crumbles for years, and like me, he had noticed a drop in production, and quality. He was having to return bags of Manna Pro back to his supplier, due to it being too powdery, and customer complaints. He changed his flock over to Purina Egg Maker crumbles, and production went back up. In addition, the crumbles were not powdered. He began recommending that to his customers instead.

It makes me wonder, if there is enough decline in some of the Manna Pro line, that it's now equal, or inferior to other brands. They didn't drop the price, just the quality.

During molt, I give canned cat food, or canned mackerel as a treat, about 3 times a week. Boosting their protein level, especially with animal protein, during molt, really makes a difference.

 

[CreveChris]

Remember that huskies have a high prey drive and love to kill chickens.
Keep the cockerels in a bachelor pad, preferably out of sight of the pullets and there will be less squabbling if there are no girls to fight over.
The pullets will benefit from not being piled on.
Feeding will be easier when they are separated by 8-10 weeks.
Eventually, you'll want to cut back protein on the cockerels when they approach full size. Likely that will be about 15 weeks and they can be cut back to 13-15% protein.
The pullets can stay on about 18%.

My Huskies are supervised 100% of the time. I built a 6-foot commercial grade aluminum fence with a concrete footer around my property just to give them a place to run under supervision (they're indoor dogs). They are not allowed on the part of the acreage where I keep the hardware cloth and pressure treated lumber chicken tractor, which would take them hours to breech.

By separated between 8-10 weeks, do you mean raising chicks? I'm looking for a Silkie broody to raise hatchlings in a separate coop. Raising chicks in a brooder in the garage was seriously overboard. I tend to be overprotective.