Is There a Perfect Rooster?

[Goronson Chicks]

What makes the Perfect Rooster? What qualities do you look for?

Thank you all.......
Maureen

 

[centrarchid]

Grew up well and is well filled out. If represents a breed, then it looks and weighs how it should. If valued for egg production, then mother, sisters, and aunts need to be good producers. Good color to comb and wattles. Fully mature. Crows frequently and flaps wings strongly. Not human aggressive.

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Thank you for weighing in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First you have to know your goals. What qualities do you want him to bring to the flock? Are you going to be hatching eggs or is he there for some other reason? Are you going to show chickens? Are you after eggs, meat, or something else? The perfect rooster will be different for each of us because we have different goals.

My goals are a black mottled or red mottled chicken (various shades of red) that lay green eggs. I hatch my own eggs. The chicken’s primary purpose is for meat, the eggs are a nice byproduct plus I need them to hatch. I prefer a broody hen to using an incubator and brooder.

My perfect rooster is red mottled, I’ll keep the black in the flock with some of the hens. He should have the blue egg gene. Since there are only two of us I don’t necessarily need a huge rooster for meat, but I want one of decent size and, more importantly, fast maturing.

Since I want fertile eggs and a peaceful flock I want a rooster that can dominate the hens. He needs to keep peace in his flock and the hens need to respect him enough that they willingly submit to his advances. A weak rooster that can’t dominate the hens and win their respect leads to brutality in the flock, just as a hen that will not accept a good rooster leads to brutality and unrest in the flock. He needs to dance for he hens, find them tidbits of food, keep the eggs fertile, and keep a good watch for danger. A good rooster will check out suspicious circumstances but once a real danger has been identified it’s fine with me if he leads his flock to safety instead of remaining between them and the danger. By checking it out and warning the flock he has done his job.

No human aggression is tolerated, other than when he is just reaching maturity as flock leader and tries his limits. He needs to learn his limits pretty quickly. I prefer him to have hatched from a hen that goes broody so he can pass those traits on to his offspring. I’ve never had a mature rooster threaten a chick in any way, more often they help Mama with the chicks, but any threat to a chick would not be tolerated.

That’s basically it for me. Others will have entirely different criteria. Most important of all, you have to know what you want before you can identify it.

 

[donrae]

Ridgerunner really nailed it in saying you need to have your own goals for a rooster. My ideal rooster will be different than either his or centrarchid's, because my flock is different and my goals are different.

My first criteria is a tie between looks and temperament. Ugly rooster gotta go! And what's pretty to me may not be to you. I have mixed breed birds so get some wild looks sometimes, good and bad.

I don't free range, so don't need the rooster to give warning. The flip side is my guys have to do well in confinement. Being docile with humans is an absolute must, as is treating the hens nicely. Courting and not overmating are biggies for me.

Coming from a line of good layers is important for me, cause his Pullets need to lay well. Good size and decent growth are nice but not deal breakers here.

After that, I go with specifics for different projects. A Splash Ameraucana for a sex link project, my Oops Dark Cornish that stole my heart, a little black silkie for another breeding project....but they all have to have good manners.

 

[aart]

I have my perfect rooster....and he's the second 'perfect for me' rooster I've had in just 18 months of chicken keeping.
Good to the ladies and chicks, doesn't mind me doing what ever I want to do....and pleases my eye.

 

[Violetsrblu]

My chix are strictly free ranging pets with the cool benefit of providing nutritious, delicious eggs, so my perfect rooster is any chicken who is very alert and watches for danger, hustles his girls to safety very quickly, breaks up hen squabbles and treats them like a gentleman should. The roo can't have a super loud crow, b/c I live in a subdivision, and he can't be aggressive toward humans. It would be a plus if he was very handsome, but it's not important to me.

I had a Silkie roo who fit all of those qualifications. He would even give the mama hens a break and take care of his chicks. Sadly, a hawk killed him last week. I have two of his sons who are 8 mos. old and I'm hoping that they inherited their father's traits.