Looking for suggestions/recommendations on a what kind rooster to get

[GAGE]

My first post got moved, and I should have been more specific. I do not want to purchase one at this time, just looking for direction on what birds to look at based on the following wants...

I am looking for recommendations for a rooster. Ideally what I would like is a colorful (multi colorful), friendly, good disposition (have a 6 y/o daughter, 10 y/o son) and if at all possible, a quieter cackle to hang around and breed with our hens. I am new to chickens but am looking to obtain a small (8-10 hens) colorful yet friendly, good laying flock of br, bo, ba, rir, glw, slw and ee...wife and daughter would like a silkie as a pet/mother as well. Is this a realistic request?
I am looking forward to them being egg layers, pets, some being mothers and just another project/hobby for me and my family to enjoy. We have 6 acres in the country so space is not a problem. I am in the process of designing our coop, thinking 8x8 with an approx. 20x20 run as well as some free range when we are home/in the yard and can keep them out of the gardens.

This site is fantastic, and my daughter and I are like kids at Christmas wanting to get started.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What you propose is certainly big enough, but I'd suggest you consider a bigger coop, maybe an 8x12. I think you will appreciate the extra room when you try to fit nest boxes, roosts, feeders and waterers in there for that many chickens. And if you are going to hatch chicks, you will probably need the room for expansion.

You are certainly planning a colorful flock. You can look at Feathersite to see some colorful roosters but it is hard to choose a bad one. How loud they are is pretty much an individual thing. I'd say just go for one that suits you and don't worry too much about how much noise it might make. If you have five acres it probably won't be too bad.

Feathersite
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html

Since you want multicolored chicks, I'd tend to stay away from an all black or a barred rooster. Those tend to have chicks that are colored like themselves. In a couple of generations it would not really matter that much though. If you keep one of their sons as your next flock master and breed that son back to the daughters from your flock, you will get a remarkable variety of different colored and patterned chicks.

With your criteria, I'd suggest an EE rooster. They are normally crosses so they should have a lot of recessive genes in their make-up and they are usually attractive roosters. The only possible drawback in appearance is that they would have a pea comb instead of that big single comb.

Good luck and welcome to the adventure.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
This is my EE rooster - is this a pea comb?

 

[dawg53]

gryeyes, I have to admit, I've never seen an EE roo with a comb like that. My previous EE roo had a pea comb, very small pea comb. Ridgerunner is right, I started out small but built big and I'm glad I did. Before you know it, you'll have a variety of all kinds and they add up quick lol!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is that the buttercup comb?

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Dunno. It's why I asked. ;-)

He's definitely an EE, though.

And he's a great rooster!

And from behind...

 

[Qi Chicken]

That is one HECK of a rooster! To the OP, have you checked out Welsummer roosters? They are very colorful and are supposed to be nice. We have one but he is only 8 weeks. Doesn't seem nice yet but we'll see. We have a very similar flock to the one you are proposing, check the sig line. I do like them all colorful like that.

 

[tryingtohaveitall]

Your setup sounds very much like what we have. We live on 5 acres, built an 8x8 coop. Started out with 13 pullets of various breeds and 2 cockerels (was supposed to be 1, but well, these things happen). We had an EE roo in hopes of perpetuating our EE flock, along with mutt chicks. Unfortunately, our EE roo became very aggressive towards all of us over time and we had to send him to that big coop in the sky. I was sad to have to do it because he was gorgeous and I loved hearing him crow, as well as protect his girls, however it was too dangerous for us all.

We're going to try again this year with a different breed, hoping for a friendlier roo. We have buff orps, an australorp roo and an amberlink roo. Good luck to you!

 

[cybercat]

8x8 will be enough for now for that amount of chickens. But if you are planning on breeding it will not even be close to enough. Take it from me who has and 8x8 with more chickens than that, but I free range totally. Now with chicks I have nest boxe issues. Not anymore but I did and we are expanding coop 4 more feet then 4 more after that.

Ok for rooster I would go Orp or Rock. My Partridge rock is real nice does not crow much and has lots of color. Everyone I have talked to with this breed of rooster all same the same. Most of the rocks make great roosters as long as you stay away from MM hatchery birds. They have a mean line of rooster in their rocks.

BTW if you have plans to sell chicks down the road. If your breeding you will trust me. Purebred sell easier than mix breeds and for more. They take the same to feed too. Always look far down the road when planning this stuff. It cost less to do it right the first time than to redo it later. This is why I only have 1 breed I knew I would be selling chicks at some point.

 

[Froggy with chickens now!]

Quote:
I have a Welsummer Rooster, 1 yr old July 4th, 2010. He was a yr old when I got him, had never attacked his former owner. On the 9th day of having him, and after him eating from my hand daily, he attacked me!

Spurred me twice before I could react. Got Cellulitus from it.

I gave him many chances after that. He attacked again, but I had a fly swat in my hand and he only broke the skin that time. We had to quarantine him. Now when I go to feed him, he attacks the wire fence when I am funneling his food in!!! We think it could be that he had matured enough after I got him to start the attacks, and that he only had one hen when he came from about 5 - 10 hens. Either way, we are looking for a new home for him. He is absolutely beautiful! But, he doesn't deserve to be quarantined away from the hens, and I don't deserve to be afraid of him!