How old when choosing which roo to keep?

[Minky]

Im growing out some roosters. Wondering when I should make my decision.. there are a lot of them, and I know 14-16 weeks is ideal for processing, right? but id rather wait until they are all full grown so I can tell who is the best for breeding. What age will that be?

They are Marans
Thanks

 

[Mrs. K]

When you start culling, work on the bottom end first. You said you have a lot, divide the number in half, and cull the bottom half. Now the ones that are left, should be easier to examine, to watch, and should fairly readily separate in to the pretty sure and the maybe's. Wait a week or two, divide the maybes in half, bottom half cull.

Wait another week or two, and at this point sometimes your decisions on the pretty sure changes, and a maybe may move up...but split the group in half. And a week or so later make your final decision.

A large group of roosters act differently. They have a lot of competition, when you start thinning them down, their personalities have more scope and often become more evident.

Good luck, I have had much better luck with this, than waiting for the best rooster to show himself. It just makes making the decision easier, if I do them in groups.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

I agree. At least cull down to a very few of your top choices to grow out longer. I'm about to do the same thing, mine are thirteen weeks old Wednesday, and the best ones are becoming obvious, so I'll keep maybe three, and see how they do, hoping to get down to one or two.
Mary

 

[Minky]

When you start culling, work on the bottom end first. You said you have a lot, divide the number in half, and cull the bottom half. Now the ones that are left, should be easier to examine, to watch, and should fairly readily separate in to the pretty sure and the maybe's. Wait a week or two, divide the maybes in half, bottom half cull.

Wait another week or two, and at this point sometimes your decisions on the pretty sure changes, and a maybe may move up...but split the group in half. And a week or so later make your final decision.

A large group of roosters act differently. They have a lot of competition, when you start thinning them down, their personalities have more scope and often become more evident.

Good luck, I have had much better luck with this, than waiting for the best rooster to show himself. It just makes making the decision easier, if I do them in groups.

Mrs K

Ok, thanks. I will try that. I tried something different this time around (wanted to test my gender guessing ability at 4 weeks) and I separated my 25 chicks into 2 groups when they were 4 weeks old. I put the 10 "males" into the rooster pen with my 3 yr old gentle giant rooster Rusty. It went well and he enjoyed the company (he was alone in a very large coop). I put the 15 the females inside another coop with a broody hen. She enjoyed their company and mothered them a bit while she sat in her nest..when they got to be about 7 weeks I half opened the door to the real chicken coop where my full grown hens are, and the teens could go in and out as they wished, and started to free range with the big hens, but keeping more to the woods and letting the big hens have the barnyard..
Now I see that my 10 cockerels are really 9 cockerels and one little pullet (in Rusty's coop) and my 15 pullets are actually 5 cockerels and 10 pullets..(the free ranging ones) Is now a good time to let everyone co-mingle ? They are 11 weeks old. I have 21 full grown free ranging hens with a rooster, Snowman. I have 3 pens. I hope this made sense..
I'm a bit concerned that Snowman and Rusty will draw blood and stress out everyone.
I am asking because you said they act differently when they are all with the same gender... would it be better to let all the chickens out to free range and they all just roost in whichever pen they like? for now? until I start to cull the cockerels?
By September I would like to have 3-4 roosters and either keep them with all hens together as one flock or separate into two if I have to. (I also have 18 chicks that are 5 weeks old but are EE so hard to tell gender still).
Phew. That was a lot of information. LOL

 

[Folly's place]

Mine are all together all the time, but that's certainly not the only way to do it. I would let them all mingle, so at least your solitary pullet can meet some new friends (we all hope!).
Mary

 

[Minky]

I agree. At least cull down to a very few of your top choices to grow out longer. I'm about to do the same thing, mine are thirteen weeks old Wednesday, and the best ones are becoming obvious, so I'll keep maybe three, and see how they do, hoping to get down to one or two.
Mary

So when will you do your first cull- 14 or 15 weeks? Or do you wait until a bit older?

 

[Minky]

Mine are all together all the time, but that's certainly not the only way to do it. I would let them all mingle, so at least your solitary pullet can meet some new friends (we all hope!).
Mary

And is it ever possible to have 2-3 roosters living harmoniously together, as long as you have enough hens? I should have 30-35 hens

 

[Folly's place]

It depends, again. If they are being rehomed, then any time is good. For the freezer, not a lot older, but still want them big enough.
I lost my mind and have three breeding groups here, usually with two males in each, all living under one roof. 35 to 45 birds total, and up to six roosters, and they have to co-exist, or somebody moves on out.
There are five separate areas, so birds can be out of sight of each other, and multiple feeders and waterers, and whenever possible the flock free ranges.
Mary

 

[Minky]

It depends, again. If they are being rehomed, then any time is good. For the freezer, not a lot older, but still want them big enough.
I lost my mind and have three breeding groups here, usually with two males in each, all living under one roof. 35 to 45 birds total, and up to six roosters, and they have to co-exist, or somebody moves on out.
There are five separate areas, so birds can be out of sight of each other, and multiple feeders and waterers, and whenever possible the flock free ranges.
Mary

ok, yup- sounds like Ive lost my mind too I suppose. I will have similar set up by fall. going to make a couple of smaller pens (maybe 5 x5) so I can have a little more flexibility, and I think I need to add nest boxes to my "rooster coop" since it will likely be housing hens too...

 

[birdlover2]

And is it ever possible to have 2-3 roosters living harmoniously together, as long as you have enough hens? I should have 30-35 hens

It is totally possible for multiple roos to coexist, my mother has 3 roos living with her 6 hens, of course they're bantams, but I don't think that makes them generally more docille towards eachother than regular chickens, though I can't be sure. The roos have had a few scuffles, mainly between the two dominants who have reached a president vice-president relationship for now, at least it appears that way. It was the same arrangement back when she had 4 roos and 2 hens before she got more hens and when they were pullets and cockerals, with one being the leader, other being his wing-man, and two being generally submissive. Who got to be the leader and who got to be the wingman was indeed sorted out through a few battles, but none drew any blood. If you want to have multiple roosters, having a submissive is key. And for some reason having 3 or four as far as I've observed so far seems to balance out the power well...and I've seen others on this sight saying that if u have only 2 they'll just battle eachother all the time, but I suppose if you had one dominant and one submissive that would work. U just have to experiment and see how it works out and what works for u.