Question on my roosters...

[biteme2134]

We just started our flock out. We wanted 4 hens and ended with 3 hens and 2 roosters! Long story but our flock is doing good. The issue is we don't need or can safely keep two roosters for the hens sake. So my question is which do we get rid of? In the 1st pic below the white hen on the right is the mom and she mated with a rhode island to make the two roosters.
The roosters look pretty much the same (the big white guys) with one difference - the legs are solid yellow on one roo... Im pretty sure the white legged roo (pic 1) is the alpha as he does most of the dancing and protecting. I think the yellow leg guy is a little bigger all around too. First I wonder if the different color legs mean anything? like better/worse breed ect...? And would you just choose the already smaller alpha roo or maybe pick the pretty (imo) yellow legged bigger roo?

both roosters are about 24 weeks old now

Thanks!

 

[NYREDS]

They're not a breed, they're Mutts. It really doesn't matter which one you keep. Different leg colour doesn't make one better than the other. Keep the one you like the best.

 

[donrae]

I'd pick the rooster that's the most respectful to humans. That's top in my book.
second is how he treats the ladies. It may be early for your birds to really determine that.

Third is pretty, or how he fits in my particular breeding program.

That said, do you even need to keep any rooster? With that small a flock, I'd get rid of them both. When I needed new birds, I'd order sexed pullets. That eliminates the need to get rid of excess cockerels.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Do you want to keep the rooster for breeding and hatching the eggs? If that is the case I would base my opinion on which rooster has the better looks and characteristics you prefer. Otherwise I agree with the above post you really don't need a rooster for that small number of hens. He could really do some damage to them if he is an aggressive breeder.

 

[biteme2134]

Interesting thoughts I hadn't thought of removing both roosters. Our neighbor had 5 hens and a rooster that they sold. That's where we got our whole flock from as they were babies then. I did see the neighbors rooster take out a few snakes and problems like that so that's why since we ended up with a boy Id thought why not keep him. I know the neighbors had some issues with over breeding and had to separate that rooster to recover the hens ...

 

[Pnoah1]

Interesting thoughts I hadn't thought of removing both roosters. Our neighbor had 5 hens and a rooster that they sold. That's where we got our whole flock from as they were babies then. I did see the neighbors rooster take out a few snakes and problems like that so that's why since we ended up with a boy Id thought why not keep him. I know the neighbors had some issues with over breeding and had to separate that rooster to recover the hens ...

The thing about roosters is that they will protect there flocks with there lives, I mean no rooster is not rough on its hens its what they call establishing the pecking order. It is the way chickens are and how they will always be, even hens are mean to one another because they have to set up a hierarchy system similar to wolves. You seem to have a small coup if there was a way to make the fence much large to incorporate more of the yard so they can free range then there is less likely of the rooster and hens alike pecking each other. It is best to keep at least one rooster with 10 hens as a minimum, but I like to recommend people to have a rooster with there hens because of the safety factor. We have hawks here in PA and the roosters will listen for the hawks and make an odd bawking sound to alert the ladies that there is a hawk in the area and they all bolt under a tree, or if I walk outside with a hood up they make a similar sound as a suspicious of me because they do not understand why I am there.

Now rooster can become aggressive the best way to usually handle aggressive rooster from what I have done is when they begin to show signs of aggressiveness toward people scoop them up and tuck them under your arm. They will struggle for a moment trying to get free but then they slacken up giving in, this is basically showing dominance. Then simply go about doing knick-knack things with the rooster under your arm, when you go to set him down he may either fluff up, display a wing downwards and stomp at you, or try to claw you with his spurs if he tries either of these things pick him back up again and repeat this. With my roosters they no longer are hostile at all towards anyone because of this.

I hope I have helped you!

 

[donrae]

The thing about roosters is that they will protect there flocks with there lives, I mean no rooster is not rough on its hens its what they call establishing the pecking order. It is the way chickens are and how they will always be, even hens are mean to one another because they have to set up a hierarchy system similar to wolves. You seem to have a small coup if there was a way to make the fence much large to incorporate more of the yard so they can free range then there is less likely of the rooster and hens alike pecking each other. It is best to keep at least one rooster with 10 hens as a minimum, but I like to recommend people to have a rooster with there hens because of the safety factor. We have hawks here in PA and the roosters will listen for the hawks and make an odd bawking sound to alert the ladies that there is a hawk in the area and they all bolt under a tree, or if I walk outside with a hood up they make a similar sound as a suspicious of me because they do not understand why I am there.

Now rooster can become aggressive the best way to usually handle aggressive rooster from what I have done is when they begin to show signs of aggressiveness toward people scoop them up and tuck them under your arm. They will struggle for a moment trying to get free but then they slacken up giving in, this is basically showing dominance. Then simply go about doing knick-knack things with the rooster under your arm, when you go to set him down he may either fluff up, display a wing downwards and stomp at you, or try to claw you with his spurs if he tries either of these things pick him back up again and repeat this. With my roosters they no longer are hostile at all towards anyone because of this.

I hope I have helped you!

That should read SOME roosters will protect the flock with their lives. Most roosters won't die for the hens, their main job is to sound the alert and give hens time to get to shelter. In the absence of rooster, a lead hen will step up and do the same function, alerting the others when something is amiss.

 

[Pnoah1]

That should read SOME roosters will protect the flock with their lives. Most roosters won't die for the hens, their main job is to sound the alert and give hens time to get to shelter. In the absence of rooster, a lead hen will step up and do the same function, alerting the others when something is amiss.

Well the roosters we have, where I live out in the Boonies. We have observed out roosters tussling with a Coon we intervened in time before things got far out of hand, if you have a rooster and it was confronted with a coon in broad daylight and his flock was nearby don't you think he would fight the coon?