Please pick! Which of these three Welsummer Roos would you keep?

[sarahandbray]

I have three 9-week-old Welsummer Roos from Chicken Scratch Poultry. They are from the William Marrow line (new to chickens, so not sure if that's a good/bad/indifferent thing).

Which one would you keep?

I know I "could" keep them longer, but I have two very lovely families looking to buy one off me right now as their backyard Roo and I think this is the best shot these guys are going to have to stay off the dinner table!

Not looking to show, but might breed to my three Welsummer hens later on.

First guy is bigger, with darker red hackles, darker/shinier body, and redder comb. But, his tail feathers kind of point downish.

Next two guys are hard for me to tell apart. Lighter combs (dryer looking combs?), a bit smaller than the first, and with less shiny feathers.

I'm leaning towards big guy #1, but what do you think?


Wellsummer Roo #1

 

[sarahandbray]

Roo #2

 

[sarahandbray]

Roo #3

 

[sarahandbray]

Oh, and if you would be so kind as to vote and say why? I'm not really sure what to look for in a "good" Welsummer Roo. Thanks!!

 

[Beer can]

It's too hard to vote! The one I kept had his red saddle feathers well before the other two. I ordered two, ended up with three. My plan was to keep the biggest, ended up keeping the smallest, but I think the other two were bigger than they were supposed to be, they were the size of my RIR and wellies are supposed to be a little smaller. The one I kept had the brightest colors, saddle feathers, and distinct hackle feathers, the other twos hackle feathers kinda melded into their body, not distinct. Keep the prettiest one, sounds like you like number one, and if it has the reddest brightest neck feathers I'd go with that one also. Mine were the size of the one in my avatar pic, so it was easy to see which was prettier, wish I could have gotten a clearer pic, need to try our camera, they don't sit still long enough for my phone camera, takes good still pics, but they are always on the move when I get close enough for a pic!

 

[sarahandbray]

Thanks! The #1 Roo has the brightest and most distinct red & brown and also the darkest red comb/wattle...but maybe he's just an early bloomer? IDK! I wish I could keep all of my Roos and have them be sweet and get along...but I don't really want to have a Bachelor Pad set up either, so I have to whittle them down. So far, I've successfully sold 4 Roos to people who want them in their flock! Only 16 or so to go!!!! Ugh....STRAIGHT-RUN, I LOATHE THEE!!!!