Roo breeding question . . .

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

With a mixed flock will a rooster favor (not sure if that is correct word) the breed that he is?

My flock will be very mixed; but I will have more brahmas than the other breeds. I have five straight run, babies (so do not know who is a roo yet); but come Oct. I have a brahma pullet coming. Wondering if they will get together when the time comes? I can only imagine the brahma pullet being breed by my black frizzle cochin roo (uwww, probably not so good; not sure).

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I have never noticed any favor in my mixed flock boys toward hens of the same breed specifically. They do seem to have their tastes in women in my experience and will favor certain hens based on that, but they're not necessarily of the same breed.

For the record, my mixed flock boys are:

• Reuben, an old man Silkie who loved one specific Silkie hen the most until she passed away, but seemed to otherwise favor the Dorking hens when he was still actively breeding.
• Winter, Reuby's son and also a pure Silkie who favors the Cochin bantam hens and breeds them the most.
• Mallow, an Old English Game bantam who favors the Silkie mix hens, though is too small to 'hit the mark' on any of them, the poor boy.
• Roscoe, a Cochin bantam who is currently fenced off as he's a bit abusive toward the old man, but when he's loose he makes a beeline for my large fowl Partridge Plymouth Rock hen every time.

That said, they'll all breed anyone who is receptive, and you'll probably find that all or most of your girls are fertilized by the more dominant male between your Brahmas and Cochin bantam. If you want to make sure your Brahma pullet is only breeding with your Brahma males, you'll have to separate the Cochin to be sure.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have no personal experience with this, but I have read that when chickens are raised with all of the same breed together they often, not always, but often, reject chickens of a different breed if their appearance is significantly different. Things like different colors, crested vs not crested, feathered vs clean feet, etc.

But if they are raised with a number of different breeds of differing appearance they don't.

I can't say whether that's true or not.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I would have to agree with the previous post. They will have favorites but not necessarily their specific breed. That is why I’m going to be building my Brahmas their own area. Right now if my flock mixes it will be either an Ameraucana mix or just Ameraucana. Since you have to probably build another coop anyway, depending on your setup your looking for, I would consider separating the breeds your looking to have offspring of.

The other thought the previous poster put about a dominant one. Normally you will have a dominant one and even sometimes 2 or more boys that will fight for the spot. Hopefully you don’t have too many cockerels that you will have to worry about it with.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I have no personal experience with this, but I have read that when chickens are raised with all of the same breed together they often, not always, but often, reject chickens of a different breed if their appearance is significantly different. Things like different colors, crested vs not crested, feathered vs clean feet, etc.

But if they are raised with a number of different breeds of differing appearance they don't.

I can't say whether that's true or not.

I have very limited experience with this, myself, as my birds are all raised together and exposed to everyone else from a young age until pulled out of the mixed flock for breeding, so I can't necessarily refute this, but Reuben was broody-raised in a Silkie-only flock before I took him in and he did not have any problems breeding any of my hens in the mixed flock regardless of breed.

 

[samanthaoverton]

I have a mixed flock. Leghorns. Leghorn/ Rhode island cross, Easter eggers, wyandottes, Rhode island mixes and some mystery hen. My roo is a Rhode island and has no pure Rhode island ladies. But I've had other flocks..roosters don't care. Lol. They do have favorites though. They don't care if they're directly related either..

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have had 2 males in my time with chickens: a teeny weeny itty bitty 1lb Sebright rooster, and a big ol' Leghorn cockerel. The Sebright isn't picky. He'll mate with every hen - from my almost as tiny Silkies all the way up to my large Brahma. He's the only Sebright I have, though, so that doesn't address your question.

The Leghorn's favorite was my lavender Orpington. This is even though I have a Leghorn pullet who is of age. The Leghorn has since been adopted by a very nice lady who tells me  her lavender Orpington is his new favorite. Clearly, he has a type.

ETA: I have a very, very mixed flock: Sebright, Silkies, Orpingtons, Brahma, Plymouth Rock, Naked Neck, Spitzhauben, Leghorn, Legbar, EEs, Cochin, Polish.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

With a mixed flock will a rooster favor (not sure if that is correct word) the breed that he is?

My flock will be very mixed; but I will have more brahmas than the other breeds. I have five straight run, babies (so do not know who is a roo yet); but come Oct. I have a brahma pullet coming. Wondering if they will get together when the time comes? I can only imagine the brahma pullet being breed by my black frizzle cochin roo (uwww, probably not so good; not sure).

Your rooster will not favor because of breed, but if you have 2 roosters do you have enough space and hens for that? If your cochin is a bantam he can get seriously injured or killed especially by a big brahma. You will be fine with a flock of bantam roosters and large fowl hens but I do not suggest though having bantam hens are large fowls roosters because the big roosters can crush your little hens.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

To add that the brahmas may become his favorite but almost all roosters have a favorite

 

[Iluveggers]

Curious to see this also! We have an Orpington cockerel w 2 Orpington pullets plus a whole lot of other ladies. Lol