How do I decide which roosters to get rid of?????

[Mary Coleman]

Wow. Thank you guys so much for the replies!!! Helped me alot. Why do roosters have to be so beautiful!!! Hahaha

 

[Phoenixxx]

I have the same question, but my issue is that there are NO problems and I want to eat the dom but I'm worried about upsetting the balance. (I have 6 roos with 13 hens and everyone gets along just fine.) Also, the dom became the dom because, well, he was the "cockiest" from the day I got him and the other chicks of his bunch; does this mean he's the most likely to protect against invaders? I want a chicken dinner (he's the biggest right now) but also snow has just started coming meaning that the coons/foxes/mink will be around again soon and he and one other are the biggest, most intimidating-looking boys.

But the thing I'm most worried about: if I eat Mullethead, will that throw the flock structure way out of whack, wreaking havoc while the seconds-in-command sort out the new boss and stressing the women out?

 

[DallasCriftins]

Every time we pull a bird out of the flock it causes waves, be it a alpha or one further down the pecking order.
My Alpha male was always the first of our Roos to act like a proper Roo he is alpha now but maybe not much longer one of the wyandottes is now much bigger than he is

There is an interesting paragraph in Grant Brettons breeding for success book that suggested out of any hatch one develops Rooster traits sooner and has a bigger comb and wattles etc but eventually the others catch up and often the original leader may be smaller than others of his type. It is almost as if the effort to be first stunts the final growth!

 

[Phoenixxx]

Every time we pull a bird out of the flock it causes waves, be it a alpha or one further down the pecking order.
My Alpha male was always the first of our Roos to act like a proper Roo he is alpha now but maybe not much longer one of the wyandottes is now much bigger than he is

There is an interesting paragraph in Grant Brettons breeding for success book that suggested out of any hatch one develops Rooster traits sooner and has a bigger comb and wattles etc but eventually the others catch up and often the original leader may be smaller than others of his type. It is almost as if the effort to be first stunts the final growth!

So you're saying it doesn't really matter one way or the other as far as restructuring goes? I do have a few too many boys and two for sure are slated for dinner, it's just picking which two :/

 

[DallasCriftins]

Not exactly, if you take your Alpha roo out there will be a bigger scrap for the top spot but obviously less so if it is one from lower down the pecking order.
I have too many roos as well. We have eaten about 10 so far.
I am becoming a bit more attached to the remainder which will make the next culling session a bit harder

I am also down to pairs or trios of the remaining roos and I probably will wait now to see what happens as I want to keep the best of each so as long as they don't start killing each other the remainder (15) will probably be ok till the spring now.

I keep them (mostly) seperated from the Hens by day and always at night

The exception will be permanent injuries.
Two of my Araucanas have damaged their legs probably by jumping down from heights recently
We ate one on Sunday as he never recovered and was being bullied. Te other is in with the Hens and despite only one good leg seems to be coping ok

This chap if he does the same to his legs will also be heading for the Table sooner rather than later!



We have eaten all this white roos brothers
He is our Alpha and a hybrid (Plymouth Rock/Sussex) so no use breeding from so he too will become dinner.



I expect this SLW to challenge for top spot eventually as he is now almost as big as our Gentle but huge Splash Orpington

 

[Phoenixxx]

Not exactly, if you take your Alpha roo out there will be a bigger scrap for the top spot but obviously less so if it is one from lower down the pecking order. I have too many roos as well. We have eaten about 10 so far. I am becoming a bit more attached to the remainder which will make the next culling session a bit harder I am also down to pairs or trios of the remaining roos and I probably will wait now to see what happens as I want to keep the best of each so as long as they don't start killing each other the remainder (15) will probably be ok till the spring now. I keep them (mostly) seperated from the Hens by day and always at night The exception will be permanent injuries. Two of my Araucanas have damaged their legs probably by jumping down from heights recently We ate one on Sunday as he never recovered and was being bullied. Te other is in with the Hens and despite only one good leg seems to be coping ok This chap if he does the same to his legs will also be heading for the Table sooner rather than later! We have eaten all this white roos brothers He is our Alpha and a hybrid (Plymouth Rock/Sussex) so no use breeding from so he too will become dinner. I expect this SLW to challenge for top spot eventually as he is now almost as big as our Gentle but huge Splash Orpington

Thanks I was going to take breeding into account myself, the alpha being the only BA boy without "faults", but I've decided to take that out of the equation since, where I am, unless you have a rare breed or exceptional sq adult, all chicks and chickens go for the same prices. (The only exception being "used" "brown layers" which people flog for $3/each or less knowing their laying days are numbered!) Plus I'll be breeding only for the perpetuation of my own flock and only plan on selling if I wind up with too many. Well, I think I will start with head honcho and just keep my fingers crossed that the ensuing ruckus won't be too bad or too stressful on the girls! There are really only 2 contenders for top spot and the one fight I witnessed between the two weeks ago was very brief.