Help me pick my rooster!

[Cloew88]

I agree with KillerB's - let all of them go. They really take experience. There are many aspects of having chickens, no need to do them all at once.

Thank you!

 

[Cloew88]

I have to agree with @3KillerBs. Young roosters can be very unpredictable. Especially with young children who are the right height to be seriously injured if a rooster decides to attack.
If you’re not planning to be a breeder or you really have no reason to keep a rooster, then see how it goes with your hens. You could always add a rooster later.
They are generally easy to find, folks are always trying to rehome them.
Good luck.

My reason was for protection as I plan to let them free range. Thoughts?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My reason was for protection as I plan to let them free range. Thoughts?

Hens can take the role of alarms just fine. It's not a male specific sound

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Hens can take the role of alarms just fine. It's not a male specific sound

I agree. Also, roosters aren't the only ones who know what a raptor call is (if you're worried about birds of prey). Once, when all of our hens were free-ranging, they heard a hawk call and all stopped what they were doing, keeping very still, while still looking up at the sky.

 

[Shadrach]

My reason was for protection as I plan to let them free range. Thoughts?

What exactly do you mean by free range?
If you mean free ro range from dawn till dusk on a large acreage then a rooster is preferable to having a hen led flock.
There are things that a good rooster in a fully free range keeping arrangement do that I have never seen a lead hen do.

Have a wander around the forums and talk to those who keep free rangers.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks for the input! This makes a lot of sense. I plan to let them free range. Won’t my hens be in more danger to predators without a rooster to sound the alarm? That was my reason for wanting to keep one.

As @Shadrach said, define "free range". The concept covered everything from being allowed out for a few ours supervised in a fenced suburban back yard to a near-feral situation.

I don't free range because my local predator load is heavy (my free ranging neighbor lost 2 entire flocks before finally building a larger run), and because I like my garden and my SIL treasures her landscaping. But if you're not talking at least a pasture-sized enclosure of acreage you *probably* don't *need* a rooster in that situation.

Given that you've got young children, you probably ought to try a year of hen-only chickenkeeping to get some experience under your belt.

A good rooster can be wonderful. A bad rooster is dreadful, even actively dangerous.

 

[gimmie birdies]

For feather color, LO, for egg to hen color, BCM. I am going through that my self. for me, I plan on picking the BCM because egg color.

 

[Mrs. K]

Personally I have never had a hen that was as aware as a good rooster. Not all roosters are good roosters, but I have had a good rooster nearly eliminate day time predation.

HOWEVER, no rooster or hen is worth a small child, you may loose a few hens, so be it. Without experience, I would not keep a rooster for a couple of years. Gain some experience, let the child grow up and get a bit taller.

Mrs K