How Can I choose which roo to keep!

[bobbieschicks]

I have to chose before next Friday - which 1 of the 4 White Leghorn roos to keep and which of the three 12 week olds to give to a friend who will use them to depopulate his acreage of ticks and bugs. IT'S SO HARD TO CHOOSE! Is there any criteria I could use to make this easier? I know 2 of the roos have crowed because I saw two crow at the same time. However everyone looks the same so I can't tell you which of the two crowed at this point until they crow again and I somehow mark them with bluekote or something! haha! One of the roos seems to hang around with the pullet - should I try to figure out which one that is and keep that one? He is the one who crows all the time. I figure she's with him because he's the leader of the pack and if he were not around she'd be with the next one in line - am I right? or do chickens have preferences in mates?

Of course the thing that makes this hardest is that these were our first hatched eggs and first clutch! My babies will be gone

and I will miss them - it's corny I know!

 

[TigerLilly]

If your chickens are your pets, I'd keep whichever one is the friendliest. If they are 'just chickens' I'd just pick the one that seems to take care of the girls the best, looks the healthiest and has the best attitude.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
Thanks! Unfortunately because they're White Leghorns, none are too friendly

I think "tolerate" is more the description for them. I'm trying NOT to treat them like pets and consider them instead as livestock (hard for me, easy for my DH). So I'm thinking I'll keep the one that hangs with Snow White, the pullet, because even though he isn't the biggest he seems the strongest and most able to protect the whole flock. The others seem strong and healthy too but if they're backing down from the smaller guy then they must not have the tough gene LOL!

It's still so hard for me to say goodbye to them after having watched them develop in the egg, candling almost every night and hatching into the cutest yellow fuzzy butts ever! The coolest part was watching them feather out - first their tiny wings then their tail feathers then all over little by little until they were covered in the most glorious white feathers - made me think of angel's wings to see them.

 

[Judy]

I had to make this choice this week but mine are a little older, so I simply chose the one who treats the girls the best. One mates too roughly, and pulled neck feasthers or scratched a few girls to bare spots, one pecks the girls when treats come out instead of calling the girls to the treats and waiting. The third one asks to mate and listens if they say no, and calls the girls and waits while the girls eat most of the treat. All guard their flock. So I'm keeping #3. It will be harder to gauge yours at this age.

 

[bobbieschicks]

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Do you think I should wait until they're of mating age? I was concerned about my pullet getting too much action with 4 roos in there. The other pullets are 3 weeks younger then her. Right now I see some rushing and feather flouncing going on with the roos & they'll go beak to beak sometimes. But so far not too much rough stuff. My WL pullet's comb is starting to turn from peachy color to darker pink - and it's grown a little taller over the past week.