Not what I bought. What is this?

[SueT]

Well I’d look for any indication of aggression twd people in each cockerel. This is a very common issue people have with their roosters. There are probably hundreds of threads on the subject. I’d keep the one that seems most well behaved around humans. Not necessarily friendly, but respectful.

 

[JLaRocco]

Well I’d look for any indication of aggression twd people in each cockerel. This is a very common issue people have with their roosters. There are probably hundreds of threads on the subject. I’d keep the one that seems most well behaved around humans. Not necessarily friendly, but t

 

[JLaRocco]

Thanks, agreed. I think I’ll give them a little time to see which becomes the better leader of the flock and long term keeper. If by chance they coexist nicely, I’ll keep ‘em both.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don’t expect they will and figure I’ll have to lose one. Is one a clear choice to keep and should I do it sooner than later?

I figure the Buff Orp will probably get bigger and won’t be as pretty as the EE in this thread, so Orp is probably going on the dinner table. Would welcome comments from more experienced folks though.

This is where it's necessary to think about what you want from a rooster and where you want your flock to go in the future.

Are you going to hatch your own eggs to renew your flock? In that case, remember that the rooster is half the genetics.

If you want nice table birds the rule is to breed the one you want to eat -- the chunky, meaty one -- because that way each generation gets better.

Only you know what YOU want, but here's what I did when considering birds.

First, temperament. I have no room in my flock for a jerk.

Second, decent type for the breed. I had a really BEAUTIFUL yard ornament among my 5 males last winter. Fast maturing, pretty color, and glorious tail. But he was horribly bad type for an Australorp -- leggy, lanky, and narrow. So he was the first out of contention.

Third, I wanted early maturity. I'd had a slow-developer in Ludwig, the Black Langshan -- which is normal for his breed. But Australorps are supposed to be early-maturers so I didn't want a slowpoke. That put a bad mark against one of the other 4.

I also wanted good size. I know that hatchery birds tend to run below SOP for their breeds. At that point I was also considering good coloration.

After getting photos evaluated by some experienced people I had 2 solid candidates and a "maybe". That was when I started feeling them for width in the back and chest and weighing them.

I also watched their behavior. One of them was dancing for the girls even at the tender age of 15 weeks. They weren't impressed, but he was trying.

A few weeks later I knew that he was also a better-colored blue than the photos in the hatchery catalogs.

I had one last hesitation because the competitor was just a few ounces heavier. And I took a bunch of photos, including this one:

You can tell from my avatar which one I chose and, despite the blurriness of the action shot, I think you can tell why.

Green-band, now Rameses, was simply a better bird.

You don't have males of the same breed and you don't necessarily have the same goals, but I think you can follow my mental process there. Figure out what you want and figure out what each male offers.

 

[JLaRocco]

This is where it's necessary to think about what you want from a rooster and where you want your flock to go in the future.

Are you going to hatch your own eggs to renew your flock? In that case, remember that the rooster is half the genetics.

If you want nice table birds the rule is to breed the one you want to eat -- the chunky, meaty one -- because that way each generation gets better.

Only you know what YOU want, but here's what I did when considering birds.

First, temperament. I have no room in my flock for a jerk.

Second, decent type for the breed. I had a really BEAUTIFUL yard ornament among my 5 males last winter. Fast maturing, pretty color, and glorious tail. But he was horribly bad type for an Australorp -- leggy, lanky, and narrow. So he was the first out of contention.

Third, I wanted early maturity. I'd had a slow-developer in Ludwig, the Black Langshan -- which is normal for his breed. But Australorps are supposed to be early-maturers so I didn't want a slowpoke. That put a bad mark against one of the other 4.

I also wanted good size. I know that hatchery birds tend to run below SOP for their breeds. At that point I was also considering good coloration.

After getting photos evaluated by some experienced people I had 2 solid candidates and a "maybe". That was when I started feeling them for width in the back and chest and weighing them.

I also watched their behavior. One of them was dancing for the girls even at the tender age of 15 weeks. They weren't impressed, but he was trying.

A few weeks later I knew that he was also a better-colored blue than the photos in the hatchery catalogs.

I had one last hesitation because the competitor was just a few ounces heavier. And I took a bunch of photos, including this one:

You can tell from my avatar which one I chose and, despite the blurriness of the action shot, I think you can tell why.

Green-band, now Rameses, was simply a better bird.

You don't have males of the same breed and you don't necessarily have the same goals, but I think you can follow my mental process there. Figure out what you want and figure out what each male offers.

Thank you for the input. I understand every owner has their own goals and there’s no silver bullet answer. I don’t want to grow my flock. Wife’s already mad at me for these ones ha. I want a male that’s nice to my kids, protects the ladies and keeps them in line. At least for now.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you for the input. I understand every owner has their own goals and there’s no silver bullet answer. I don’t want to grow my flock. Wife’s already mad at me for these ones ha. I want a male that’s nice to my kids, protects the ladies and keeps them in line. At least for now.

*nods*

Having your goals clear is the important thing. When you don't know what you want you can't make a good decision.