Confusing EE/Did I end up with all boys!?

[ShrekDawg]

It's fun to spend time out there watching flock dynamics, although I don't do much of it during snow season. One or two cockerels may be fine with each other, or not, but it gives you more time to pick the one that's best for your flock. Overmating might be an issues, or not; again, it just depends.
Mary

Thanks again! Very helpful. Oddly it hasn’t been too bad here. Very mild winter. This weeks been in the 40s, almost 50 hardly any snow. So I can watch them. though this week is supposed to rain a lot.

And thanks again! Good to know! I’ll keep an eye out. Do you think them growing up together and having so much room will help?

 

[Folly's place]

Absolutely! The hardest, nearly impossible introductions are with two adult roosters. Youngsters can get along fine.
Mary

 

[ShrekDawg]

If I were you I would keep three or four boys and then see what happens. In my very first group of chickens, all 'pullets' from TSC, I ended up with four boys out of six. My store was very nice and gave me four replacements for free, which were girls. I panicked about having so many boys; mine fought when they reached crowing age, though they eventually settled their differences.

Anyway I was worried, and the competing crowing was very loud (plus my neighbors live close to me) so I gave two away to someone for eating, and I regret that. For a while I had the other two roosters, but within the first year the alpha rooster got taken by a fox, and I was left with the most submissive rooster. I liked him, but I definitely missed having more than one man around for the girls .

I prefer having more than one rooster actually. They seem to divide up tasks, and you have back-ups. In an ideal flock (to me) the rooster should be the one to be taken by a predator before any hen; this has been my experience for the most part.

If you were keeping them confined, I would say one rooster at the most, but with as much space as you have, I don't think it would hurt to have more. That way, also, if one starts to annoy you or the hens, you won't feel too bad about having to get rid of him.

Thank you!! This is very helpful!!! I am a bit worried about the crowing which is why I’m still not even sure on one as my dad’s colleague has one crowing all the time on calls and stuff and he hates it but I’ve assured him not all roosters are like that and it depends but we’ll see so far they’ve been quiet since moving outside.

But we do have close neighbors in the back where the chickens are and can see their houses so hopefully they’ll be good. We are allowed to have roosters but if they’re too loud, they may bug even me.

But then again, some of my hens are VERY loud/talkative with their egg songs and just in general and we also have tons of loud wild birds (blue jays, crows and such) so it may not even be noticeable. If it is I can always lock them in the coop longer in the mornings.

I am a bit worried about the competing crowing though. I know sometimes they are louder when competing with each other but maybe that wouldn’t be the case with an alpha and a beta that have grown up together??? Maybe one would be allowed to crow and the other wouldn’t be???

And yeah, I figure with the space it will hopefully help!!

Although honestly right now mine are locked up a lot because I’m paranoid of predators and like to be able to watch them but I’ve been trying to let them out more often and for longer lately and I think would definitely feel better if they had a rooster.

Also, the new coop is like double the size and the run will be a lot bigger too so hopefully confinement will be a bit easier but I am planning to start free ranging consistently. Just sometimes on bad weather I don’t. But I guess they’d find their own place to hide?

I have heard though that multiple roosters do seem to divide up tasks like you said so I do think it’d be fun to have two but honestly I’m pushing it even with one.

If they become a problem though, I don’t mind getting rid of them if necessary. Don’t know if I’d be able to kill them but could give them away.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Absolutely! The hardest, nearly impossible introductions are with two adult roosters. Youngsters can get along fine.
Mary

That’s great to know! Thanks! So I’ll pick a couple and try to separate them once the coop’s finished but for now I’ll just keep letting them free range and mingle.

I know theoretically I should probably only pick two but I really like 3 so I might keep those 3 and the girl but

Or I might just try to really focus and narrow it down to two haha

I think I will try letting them free range more and sit out there and watch and try to pick the best personalities rather than just looks or whatever.

 

[Folly's place]

I've chosen well, and chosen "what was I thinking?!" because we just can't keep everyone, and so sometimes, months later, regrets happen. Take time, and see if there's an obvious flaw in one or more of them, and that narrows the field a bit. Think about offspring, if you are going to hatch any of their eggs. And then go for the one(s) that make you smile!
Mary

 

[ShrekDawg]

I've chosen well, and chosen "what was I thinking?!" because we just can't keep everyone, and so sometimes, months later, regrets happen. Take time, and see if there's an obvious flaw in one or more of them, and that narrows the field a bit. Think about offspring, if you are going to hatch any of their eggs. And then go for the one(s) that make you smile!
Mary

Thanks again! Good advice! Originally I was thinking of keeping the Welsummer pair just so I could have and/or potentially hatch some purebreds and cause they’re both gorgeous imo but now I’m not 100% sure.

I like the Lav Orp too. I think he is beautiful and unique and love color but I’m not a huge fan of my Buff Orps just because they’re not the most intelligent imo, though they’re sweet, so I guess we’ll see. Maybe he will be. Or the Buff.

The Easter Egger I thought would be cool too and I love my EEs and the colored egg genes but I don’t know if the male would pass on the colored egg gene?? I do have 3 EE females though. And I thought it would be cool to hatch my Leghorn’s eggs and have some super colored layers.

There is one that was picking fights with the big girls that might be a definite no no but I think he may have finally backed off or else it’s his lookalike. I will watch more closely and see. He may be a goner if he doesn’t shape up. And I have heard RIR can be mean? But so far my boy doesn’t seem to be and is handsome so.

I will keep an eye on all of them and try to pick for personality now.

Also, I thought about potentially making sexlinks but I think I only have one silver hen (my Delaware) so that probably wouldn’t work out anyway. Though would the EE work since he is red? Or does it have to be a specific red breed like the buff or RIR?

 

[ShrekDawg]

The Wellie makes me smile cause he’s gorgeous.

 

[NatJ]

I love my EEs and the colored egg genes but I don’t know if the male would pass on the colored egg gene??

If the male has two copies of the colored egg gene, he will pass it to every chick of his, and all his daughters will lay colored eggs. If he has only one copy of that gene, he will pass it to some of his chicks (about half), so some of his daughters will lay colored eggs. If he does not have the colored egg gene, then of course he cannot pass it on. With a hen, if she lays colored eggs, you know she's got at least one copy of that gene--but because a rooster does not lay eggs, the only way to tell about him is to raise daughters and look at THEIR egg color.

If you have EE females, then their daughters are likely to lay colored eggs, no matter what rooster is the father (either all daughters, or half of daughters, depending on how many copies of the gene the hen has.)

Also, I thought about potentially making sexlinks but I think I only have one silver hen (my Delaware) so that probably wouldn’t work out anyway. Though would the EE work since he is red? Or does it have to be a specific red breed like the buff or RIR?

It does not have to be a specific red breed. Because gold is a recessive gene, the rooster will only look that color if he's got two copies--which is exactly what you need to father sexlinks. (But some roosters show red in certain places even when genetically silver, just because roosters do that. But I think your EE is fine.)

Edit to add: the Welsummer rooster is also "gold" for this purpose, just like the RIR and the buff orpington (and the Easter Egger.)

 

[ShrekDawg]

If the male has two copies of the colored egg gene, he will pass it to every chick of his, and all his daughters will lay colored eggs. If he has only one copy of that gene, he will pass it to some of his chicks (about half), so some of his daughters will lay colored eggs. If he does not have the colored egg gene, then of course he cannot pass it on. With a hen, if she lays colored eggs, you know she's got at least one copy of that gene--but because a rooster does not lay eggs, the only way to tell about him is to raise daughters and look at THEIR egg color.

If you have EE females, then their daughters are likely to lay colored eggs, no matter what rooster is the father (either all daughters, or half of daughters, depending on how many copies of the gene the hen has.)



It does not have to be a specific red breed. Because gold is a recessive gene, the rooster will only look that color if he's got two copies--which is exactly what you need to father sexlinks. (But some roosters show red in certain places even when genetically silver, just because roosters do that. But I think your EE is fine.)

Edit to add: the Welsummer rooster is also "gold" for this purpose, just like the RIR and the buff orpington (and the Easter Egger.)

Thank you!! This was very helpful.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have another question... sorry if it’s stupid... when can they breed? Or rather, when can I safely set the eggs without risk of problems? I probably won’t set any for a while anyway but I’m just curious. I know it probably depends on the rooster but ballpark?