Selecting a cockerel too keep

[Island Roo]

Is selecting a cockerel the same as selecting a rooster? Since behaviour of a rooster is not fully apparent until at least a year, do you look for the same traits at 4 to 6 months and just hope that things don't change? Or something different in a younger roo/cockeral?

I have 13 cockerels at six months old - one will be joining my current flock. At that point I'll have 2 roosters (including the new one) and 24 hens. I don't have the space, the patience, or the wife to keep all 13 cockerels for a full year.

I'm looking primarily for a fast growing (not necessarily fast maturing) bird that will offer good predator protections for the girls. And of course no human aggression. He will be helping to produce fast(er) growing cockerels for freezer camp and replacement pullets.

Here is the first eligible bachelor.






He was the first to mature and became the natural leader of the group. The girls follow him outside to look for goodies before anyone else. He seems calm and has mutual respect for me. When I first put him in the split / coop and pen that has visual contact with the current flock he started to mate with one of the pullets. That was the first time I saw him do that - at 16 weeks old...

In the side by side pen, I've noticed some stink-eye from the grown hens and a bit of dancing and showing off for the boys. No big deal from either side.

Anyway, seems to me he has what it takes. Any comments / ideas?

Thanks for any input.

 

[tadpole98]

He sounds good to me, and he looks good. If he has a leader/protector like attitude more than anyone else, i would keep him.

 

[mtnviewfarms]

He is a very handsome character! The reason it is most often suggested not to pick the rooster
until at least a year old is that a cockerel is very young and his 'hormones' have just kicked in and can sometimes make them more aggressive than they will be when fully grown. Also, sometimes
a cockerel can look really good at 6 months and some of the others not so good but after a year it can reverse.

Since you won't be able to keep the 13 for a year, this one you describe and picture looks great.
You may want to retain one more that is 'runner up' thus far just in case this one turns out not to
be as people friendly as he is now as he ages. JMHO.

 

[Island Roo]

A runner up - of course. This flu I've had all week and the cough medicine has me thinking at half speed.

I thought I might be missing something but not that obvious.