Rooster Breed? Pure or Cross?

[Fred's Hens]

EVERY RIR rooster I have raised has turned out meaner than a snake.

I am raising one up now, every time I go in the coop I force him to move away and STAY away from me. Every time he even looks at me I force him into the corner. He is 7 months old now and so far has not even bluffed me yet. I have never handled him unless absolutely necessary.

I hope he turns out nonaggressive....only time will tell.

Ever "RIR" I have got from a hatchery, including pullets/hens, do not have good attitudes. Heritage RIRS on the other hand are sweet, including the roosters.

The hatchery stuff sold as reds can indeed be this way. It's flock breeding employed by the hatcheries. How many times have I read on here that Barred Rock males are aggressive. It's mind blowing because the Rock shouldn't be this way and the Reds shouldn't either.

But in a massive "breeding" pen where the most aggressive wins the most females and is rewarded with that DNA moving forward, this is what you get. This is selecting, by neglect, for aggressive attitudes in the males. Keep doing this for a decade or two and then entire male strain of the hatchery's stock is infected with a nasty streak. Sad really. Large pen breeding of 100 males and 800 females is not true breeding. It is mass production.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

This is why I dont order from hatcheries. They truely are sad. I would rwther pay more for better birds anyways. Besides I cant do anything woth HQ stock anyways