Lots of roos, so little time!

[Peeps61]

I hatched out 10 chicks about 9 weeks ago. Today, I heard one crow, so I know I have at least one cockerel in the bunch, but I think it's more like 4. I have one that is black with a rose comb and has white spots all over. He already has LONG tail feathers and is very obviously a cockerel. He's also chasing the pullets around some too, so he entering the teen age stage. If he behaves, I'll keep him. If not, I'll process him with the others. I already have two great roosters that are not human aggressive, so I don't really need a third. Just thought I'd give him a try because he's so pretty. He's a mix of polish, black sex link and white leghorn.

 

[aart]

There's so many cockerels right now that it's hard to tell who will be better with my ladies!

Reducing numbers can help, but even with 2-3 their behaviors are affected by competition of the others. Pick one, raise it right, and cross your fingers.

 

[Mrs. K]

Or let all of these be culled, join a local poultry club, contact the county extension office, or put up a notice at the local feed store. What you want is a rooster close to a year old that has been raised in a multigenerational flock and has such nice manners he has not been culled...and you don't want him until your girls are laying eggs.

I think you get better roosters raised in a multigenerational flock, there are bigger birds there 24/7 to teach proper manners. A rooster raised with hatch mates gets bigger than the other birds faster, matures faster than the pullets and often times becomes a bully to get his way.

MRs K

 

[Folly's place]

So true, but keeping one or two of these cockerels may work out well, and avoids the biosecurity problems that bringing in an outside bird would be.
If this year's cockerels don't work out, there's next year, and a new batch of cockerels, and those mature hens to teach him some manners.
Mary