Marble appears to be a mixed breed rooster. Definitely not a pure barred rock and not a Marans.
The one I am least confident of being a roo is actually Big Fluffy but I'm still leaning that way. If you are really emotionally committed to them then you might want to make a bachelor pad for them and keep that hen ark for some new girls if you want eggs but you would have to keep them separate, because all those cockerels would torment the life out of any pullets you got if you kept them together and most likely fight each other too. If they are kept apart from females they can often coexist without too much problem.
Having said that, whilst young cockerels are often the friendliest when they are chicks and people become more attached to them because of that, they can change temperament quite dramatically when they reach adolescence and hormones kick in and what was cute behaviour as chicks, suddenly becomes disrespectful and even aggressive once they mature. That's when I find it becomes easier to think of them as dinner, particularly if they are terrorising my pullets and hens.
You have been extremely unlucky to get 5/5 roos (assuming I am right). It is the less desirable part of the chicken keeping and there are very few good homes for such birds other than in someone's freezer or oven. I would certainly wait a few more weeks until they develop their male feathers just to be sure.... the red/gold patches coming in on the wings of the Brahma(Little Fluffy) are a male bird trait in some breeds depending on the genetics (the leghorns will not develop red patches unless they are not true leghorns) but you will eventually see pointy hackle, saddle and sickle feathers start to develop at about 14-15 weeks and of course the most dominant ones will crow. Lower ranking birds may not crow or only when they are out of sight of the top rooster if you free range them.
I have no experience of "No Crow" collars so I can't advise on that. My cockerels will crow throughout the day and night if something disturbs them. Having a very dark coop will help to keep them quiet during the night as light from passing cars, street lights or security lights can set them off.
Good luck whatever you decide. It's never easy but at least you have a few weeks yet to figure something out before they fully develop.
Best wishes
Barbara
The one I am least confident of being a roo is actually Big Fluffy but I'm still leaning that way. If you are really emotionally committed to them then you might want to make a bachelor pad for them and keep that hen ark for some new girls if you want eggs but you would have to keep them separate, because all those cockerels would torment the life out of any pullets you got if you kept them together and most likely fight each other too. If they are kept apart from females they can often coexist without too much problem.
Having said that, whilst young cockerels are often the friendliest when they are chicks and people become more attached to them because of that, they can change temperament quite dramatically when they reach adolescence and hormones kick in and what was cute behaviour as chicks, suddenly becomes disrespectful and even aggressive once they mature. That's when I find it becomes easier to think of them as dinner, particularly if they are terrorising my pullets and hens.
You have been extremely unlucky to get 5/5 roos (assuming I am right). It is the less desirable part of the chicken keeping and there are very few good homes for such birds other than in someone's freezer or oven. I would certainly wait a few more weeks until they develop their male feathers just to be sure.... the red/gold patches coming in on the wings of the Brahma(Little Fluffy) are a male bird trait in some breeds depending on the genetics (the leghorns will not develop red patches unless they are not true leghorns) but you will eventually see pointy hackle, saddle and sickle feathers start to develop at about 14-15 weeks and of course the most dominant ones will crow. Lower ranking birds may not crow or only when they are out of sight of the top rooster if you free range them.
I have no experience of "No Crow" collars so I can't advise on that. My cockerels will crow throughout the day and night if something disturbs them. Having a very dark coop will help to keep them quiet during the night as light from passing cars, street lights or security lights can set them off.
Good luck whatever you decide. It's never easy but at least you have a few weeks yet to figure something out before they fully develop.
Best wishes
Barbara
