Observations on two roosters

[knoturavggrl]

Often times people ask about how do you choose the right rooster out of a group, so I thought I would write down some observations.

I added two juvenile cockerels. They were crowing and in a flock mate flock, they thought they were hot stuff. I brought them home and Mrs. Feathers taught them some ettiquette. They have fit well into the flock of older hens and two juveniles. I have watched the juveniles pretty carefully as I do not want them harassed. And they have not been. I am assuming these boy are about 3 months old ~ 12 ish weeks.

Yesterday I let them out and was not too impressed. The two cockerels stayed close to the run/coop - the hens wandered off by them selves.

But today I saw something different. The one I am calling Long Johns - he caught a grasshopper, made a tentative tidbit call and Mrs. Feathers came over and accepted it. I swear she was smiling, "Oh, isn't he sweet?" A few moments later the hen flock moved off, and all at once, Long Johns realized it, and ran over to join them. Got right in the midst of them, and then while they were grazing, I see his head up and looking around more than down and eating. A good sign.

Meanwhile the other boy - no hat, is with one of the juveniles. He does not leave the coop/run, he is not paying attention to anything but possible grasshoppers and he is not tidbitting. He does not crow as often as Long John - so might just be a little younger, a little less hormones.

It is WAY to early to make a call, but I liked what I saw today. I originally liked No Hat a bit better because he has a tight comb. But for me and my girls it is not a deciding factor. They will be making big changes in the next 2-4 months. Neither may make the final cut, or rather both might be cut out. I will continue to post about these boys. Maybe it will help.

Mrs K

Great thread!

I also have to cockerels I am watching. My broody hatched out some shipped eggs and they are 14 weeks old. They are English Jubilee Orps. I have 11 hens that are about a yr old now and 2 pullets from the eggs that hatched. So, my total is 13.

I would like to free range them unsupervised for a couple hrs a day. Currently, they only get supervised time out of their coop and run. This is due to the fact that we live in country and there are a slew of potential predators in our area. I think if I had a Rooster though, perhaps some short unsupervised time would be possible.

I am hoping to keep both of the boys. They are pretty laid back so far, polite and they have had a few scuffles between them but generally give up quickly and go back to being friends in short order.

Neither crow at all but I have seem Lore the slightly larger of the two attempting to mate with one of my older girls. Story, has not to my knowledge attempted this feat.

So, I am observing like you are to see how it goes and how it shakes out.

Lore is on the right Story is on the left flanked by the two pullets Myth and Avalon.

 

[Mrs. K]

Such beautiful birds.

 

[Sally PB]

Such beautiful birds.

Gorgeous.

 

[whwerb]

Often times people ask about how do you choose the right rooster out of a group, so I thought I would write down some observations.

I added two juvenile cockerels. They were crowing and in a flock mate flock, they thought they were hot stuff. I brought them home and Mrs. Feathers taught them some ettiquette. They have fit well into the flock of older hens and two juveniles. I have watched the juveniles pretty carefully as I do not want them harassed. And they have not been. I am assuming these boy are about 3 months old ~ 12 ish weeks.

Yesterday I let them out and was not too impressed. The two cockerels stayed close to the run/coop - the hens wandered off by them selves.

But today I saw something different. The one I am calling Long Johns - he caught a grasshopper, made a tentative tidbit call and Mrs. Feathers came over and accepted it. I swear she was smiling, "Oh, isn't he sweet?" A few moments later the hen flock moved off, and all at once, Long Johns realized it, and ran over to join them. Got right in the midst of them, and then while they were grazing, I see his head up and looking around more than down and eating. A good sign.

Meanwhile the other boy - no hat, is with one of the juveniles. He does not leave the coop/run, he is not paying attention to anything but possible grasshoppers and he is not tidbitting. He does not crow as often as Long John - so might just be a little younger, a little less hormones.

It is WAY to early to make a call, but I liked what I saw today. I originally liked No Hat a bit better because he has a tight comb. But for me and my girls it is not a deciding factor. They will be making big changes in the next 2-4 months. Neither may make the final cut, or rather both might be cut out. I will continue to post about these boys. Maybe it will help.

Mrs K

This was very helpful and I hope to see your updates as I am pretty sure I have 3 too many cockerels and will have to make a choice. I just bought leg bands so I can keep track of which is which as all mine are black and it’s hard to tell them apart!