Help me decide which rooster to keep! UDATE!!! THEY WERE SAVED!!!

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Rooster 2.

 

[HatTrickSilkies]

Your roosters are similar in type. Rooster #1 has a softer, rounder tail than does #2, who has a pointy shape and hard feathers. Rooster #1 has slightly better wings than #2. #2 has nicer foot feathering than #1. I would take a look at these traits in your females and see which rooster will better compliment them as far as improving upon what they lack. If the roosters get along, you may consider keeping both of them together with your hens?

Good luck with your decision.

~ Nikki

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Thank you everyone for your opinions. I have been asking people I know at school if they would like the extra one.

HatTrickSilkies - I have, like you said, been thinking about the future generations with the hens. I am leaning more towards number two because of the better foot feathering. The hens aren't that well feathered in this area. I am so heart broken from this since I raised them from chicks. I knew this would come, but I guess it's inevitable.

Again, thanks for everyone's opinions on each bird. I may have my mind made up...

 

[southernhen]

Quote:
I agree with Hat Trick Silkies. Why can't you keep them both? I would hate for something to happen to the only one you did keep and then you would not have any roosters. That is what happened to me.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Why can't you keep 'e, both? My two Silkie roos get along famously. They're a team.

 

[THough1956]

Why are you butchering Silkies? Thier meat is not really like ordinary chickens are they going to an Asian market.

Sell them to someone as pets. Please!!

 

[Fudgie]

Here is my opinion. My daughter has some silkies so this is my semi educated biased opinion so take it for what it is worth LOL!

#1 has good fluff to it, better feathering on the top knot and wings, a fluffy bumm and fluffy pantaloons. darker comb. Looks younger than roo2

#2 has awesome tail feathers for a roo, definatley roo type, not hard to distinguish male from female. he has better facial look to me. Looks older than roo1

In my opinion if age is the same, I would tend to keep roo#2 because he is maturing faster than roo#1. However if Roo #1 is the youngest, he might grow into himself. He has great potential.

I would tend to keep them together to see how they do with the ladies and watch who is performing and who is not then cull from there.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

The reason we are butchering them is because we have tried many times to find homes for them locally and on here and craigslist and nobody wants them. So our neighbor is offering to take them to her sisters thursday to butcher them. If I could, I would keep them both, but I only have limited space unless I can REALLY convince my parents or if someone takes the one I don't want. But I the main reason I can only have one is because I am keeping a Sebright rooster with him too. Both roosters are the same age, as are the sebrights. All of my chickens were delivered together on the same day. Since I do not wish to keep what meat they may have Im allowing our neighbor to keep it since she lives alone. As chicks these two were among the fastest to mature. They both had big combs at 6 weeks!

 

[Bock_Bock]

i say you hide 1 of the roosters untill after your neighbor leaves lol so you can have both i just dont know where to hide it just tell your parents it escaped and it will just show back up your neighbor is gone lol

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Does the neighbor know that the meat will be bluish black? (I call it "bruise" coloured.)

I doubt the neighbor will want it knowing that.

I agree with keeping both if you can, but I believe #1 will be a better bird. You need to compliment your hens (as Nikki said), but hard tail feathers will be something you'll work on for years to correct. A fluffy soft tail is not so easy to acquire on a rooster.

Since you have unsuccessfully tried to sell or give away locally, consider putting one up for auction on eggbid. And I believe there is a sale/trade section here, as well.