How do you decide on which males to keep?

[CaloosaBirds]

I haven't had to do this in a while, but since I've restarted my flock, I now have 19 hens and 18 roos, all the same age. (How was that for a split? LOL) I only want to keep 4 of the males. They are currently 5 weeks old, starting to crow and become obnoxious, and separated from the (mellow) hens. How would you all go about choosing the 4 lucky ones?

 

[Climax]

Temperament, looks, friendliness.

 

[muans]

friendly looking,calm and caring like offering foods to the hens

 

[Lydipants]

I pick for health and friendliness, this year I got 6 hens and 23 cockerels in my straight run..........

 

[Chicalina]

5 weeks is too young to know how they will turn out I think.

What breed are they and what do you want them for? Breeding for showing, pets, meat?

What do you value in a rooster? Looks, conformity with breed standard, size, friendliness to humans/hens, foraging for hens, guard chicken, eye candy?

We need to know these things to answer your question.

 

[NatJ]

Quail, right?

I almost answered in a chicken-specific way, and then saw that this is in the quail forum. I hadn't quite realized that hens, roos, and crowing were all appropriate terms when dealing with quail too!

For any species, I would start by removing any that have problems, that cause trouble, or that you just don't like. So check each one over for physical issues (crooked beak, missing toe, walks strangely, always smaller than the rest, etc.) And notice whether any attack you, or are mean to the females, or always get out of the pen and open the door. Think about whether any needed extra help as babies: assisted hatching, poopy butts, slow to find the food, and so forth.

Think about what temperament traits matter to you. For example, if you pick one up and it sits calmly in your hand, while another struggles wildly. If you reach into the pen and one runs frantically away while another is fairly easy to grab. If one panics at every new thing, while another accepts life calmly. (Personally, I like birds that are relatively calm, and easy for me to handle. But you may not care, or may have different preferences.)

I usually find it easier to decide who goes, instead of who stays. (Same decisions, just a different way to think of it.)

And the more you remove, the easier it is to notice details about the remaining ones. So then it can be easier to sort them out too.

 

[Quaicken108]

I assume that you’re talking about Coturnix because if it was buttons I’d be in celebration; they are perfect in pairs. I agree with what everyone else has said but I’m curious with the mutations as well and also how they’re all related. Are there 37 bloodlines?! I think that would also impact you’re decision.

 

[MDBird]

So if you seperate all of the roosters at 5 weeks, will you be able to reintroduce them easily if you want to begin breeding at 10 weeks?

 

[FloorCandy]

I would just start removing the trouble makers, and that will help you figure out what your working with.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I assume that you’re talking about Coturnix because if it was buttons I’d be in celebration; they are perfect in pairs. I agree with what everyone else has said but I’m curious with the mutations as well and also how they’re all related. Are there 37 bloodlines?! I think that would also impact you’re decision.

Unfortunately, some people don't seem to care about inbreeding