If you were me, which rooster would you keep?

[Hummingbird Hollow]

This spring I was in the little local feed store and the woman in front of me in line was bemoaning the fact that one of her pullet chicks turned out to be a rooster and needed to "rehome" it because roosters aren't allowed withing city limits. I told her I'd take it, but that the chances were pretty high that it would end up as dinner. I explained that I liked the idea of having a rooster, but hadn't had great luck with the temperaments of the two I'd also raised (also supposed to be pullets). She brought me her rooster, and a second one a week later. I left my number at the feed store and ended up with 9 roosters delivered to my home over the course of the summer.

I'm down to two. The first is a handsome Easter Egger fellow who spent over a month in with my hens and seems to get along pretty well. It isn't always pretty, but all but one of the hens seems to submit to his attentions, which are pretty constant. The hens are getting a bit bald headed and patchy, which I wonder about with winter coming but he is most definately getting the job done. The second is a beautiful Blue Ameraucana fellow who has been given a 2 week trial in with my girls. He seems more laid back, and I like the idea of the little chicks I might get next spring (I have a mixed flock of EEs, some Production Reds, some Wellsummers and 2 Blue Favaucanas: a green egg laying hybrid). However, while every time I'm outside in the garden or tending chickens, I witnessed the EE rooster mounting a hen, I've only seen the Blue Ameraucana successfully mount a hen once or twice. I don't stand around waiting for him to perform, but it is getting into fall and I want to be down to one rooster by the time winter comes, because the pen I'm keeping the surplus rooster in isn't really winterproof.

So, the EE rooster or the Blue Ameraucana, which should I keep if I want a nice rooster who will protect his girls and also give me some nice fertile eggs so that when my two Favaucanas go broody in the spring (like they do several times a year) I can let them hatch some chicks?

 

[Folly's place]

These boys are still pretty young, and one has matured a little faster than the other. As long as both are not human aggressive, I'd pick the larger and more structurally correct of the two. Your blue cockerel is beautiful! Mary

 

[worms7]

In my opinion I would keep the least aggressive & hope
it is the blue in the picture
cheers Phil

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I agree that they mature at a different rate and I would keep the bigger one....

However, I vote for the Blue Ameraucana. EE seem more flighty in general. And the EE might be the dominant of the 2 which would lead to less breeding of the lower.

Also the blue am should throw more consistent offspring and all of my EE seem to have small bodies. My Lav Am are pretty laid back as well.

I know blue doesn't breed true, but your favaucana and Am will probably make pretty babies!

It takes time to get the whole mating thing right. When you did witness a successful mount, did the Am seem any gentler than the EE?

Good luck deciding! I KNOW how hard it can be.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most roosters younger than 2 years will constantly mate the hens. You may want to remove him for a while to give your hens a break and hopefully they grow their feathers back before winter. I keep mine penned within the shed where the roosters can interact through the fence. Pick the rooster you like. The one that doesn't mate as much will probably pick up his pace after the more dominant one is removed. Sometimes young roosters need a bit of management during their first year or two.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I agree that they mature at a different rate and I would keep the bigger one....

However, I vote for the Blue Ameraucana. EE seem more flighty in general. And the EE might be the dominant of the 2 which would lead to less breeding of the lower.

Also the blue am should throw more consistent offspring and all of my EE seem to have small bodies. My Lav Am are pretty laid back as well.

I know blue doesn't breed true, but your favaucana and Am will probably make pretty babies!

It takes time to get the whole mating thing right. When you did witness a successful mount, did the Am seem any gentler than the EE?

Good luck deciding! I KNOW how hard it can be.

I wouldn't say that the Am is any gentler than the EE, perhaps more tentative and inept would describe it better. The EE was all about getting the job done...as many times a day as possible it seems to me. The Am is very interested in the hens, but can't always seem to close the deal. They don't seem as submissive to him as they are to the EE. I took the EE rooster out when I added the Am so there isn't any physical conflict between the two.

Here are some photos I took this morning:
Bachelor #1 - the Easter Egger and

Bachelor #2, the Blue Ameracauna.

Neither is at all aggressive towards me. Both were hatched this spring, but I think the Easter Egger is a bit older.

General consenses with this group seems to be keep which ever one I like best (love the looks of the Blue rooster although the EE is a handsome boy too) and figure he'll grow into his job over time. Does this sum it up? Either way my chicks will be "mutts" but it would be nice if they were pretty mutts.

 

[dlp40]

I had the same dilemma this spring. I chose the americauna because I was gauranteed a blue green or olive egg. Made my choice way easier even though the Ee was prettier.

 

[donrae]

General consenses with this group seems to be keep which ever one I like best (love the looks of the Blue rooster although the EE is a handsome boy too) and figure he'll grow into his job over time. Does this sum it up? Either way my chicks will be "mutts" but it would be nice if they were pretty mutts.

Yep, this pretty much covers what I was thinking.

Something else to keep in mind is what you plan to do with the offspring. Are you wanting to have chicks to sell, or just for yourself?

If you're wanting to sell, I'd stay with the blue boy. Folks go nuts for blue birds, and blue or green egg layers are always in demand. Fluffy cheeks seal the deal for a lot of folks.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Yep, this pretty much covers what I was thinking.

Something else to keep in mind is what you plan to do with the offspring. Are you wanting to have chicks to sell, or just for yourself?

If you're wanting to sell, I'd stay with the blue boy. Folks go nuts for blue birds, and blue or green egg layers are always in demand. Fluffy cheeks seal the deal for a lot of folks.

The chicks would be mainly for me as I try to replace 2 or 3 of my hens every summer so that I have pullets just starting to lay, active layers and those starting to lay, but you raise a good point, if I have more pullet chicks than I really need, pretty fluffy-cheeked blue egglayers will be easier to sell than more generic ones. OK, Mr. EE I guess the jury is in and you got a longer and more fullfilling life most of the roosters I took in this summer, the Blue boy gets the girls.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd definitely choose the blue AM. If you decide you don't want him, send him my way.