Silver Laced Wyandotte rooster

[DarkAngel77]

I'm just wondering what your experience has been with having a Silver Laced Wyandotte Rooster.

Before actually getting chickens I had plans to eventually get either a buff orpington rooster or a barred rock. I'm still open to those breeds. I do have a mixed flock, one of my hens is a SLW and after having her, I'm curious what the roosters are generally like. I absolutely love my SLW hen, out of all of my chickens she is one of my favorites due to her personality, she's not a lap chicken, but she is very laid back and easy going, she's the top hen but she doesn't go around trying to bully any of the other chickens, everytime I have added younger ones to the flock she actually stops the other chickens from being to aggressive with the younger ones. She is my only SLW so I'm not sure if I lucked out with her or if she is the typical SLW.


I would like to get a rooster that is the same breed as one of my hens, so I'm open to SLW, BO, BR, Welsummer, EE, Australorp, Leghorn. I'm mainly wanting a rooster to be a lookout/protector for when I let them free range, but I also want a rooster that won't be as prone to aggression towards us. I also understand that any breed is capable of being aggressive and it is always a possibility no matter what. I do have a plan for if that does happen.

 

[DobieLover]

Where do you live, in general?

If you live where winter temperatures can drop sub-zero, I strongly suggest you avoid roosters with a single comb as they will be susceptible to frostbite. This Leghorn mix was hatched out from a brown egg under one of my hens. I ended up keeping him (for now) because of his nice disposition. But we have had quite the cold spell with many nights sub-zero and days in the single digits. His wattles dunked in the fount waterer and this is what he is now dealing with.

Single comb roosters tend to grow large wattles as well.

Other than selecting a bird that can physically do well in your climate, it doesn't matter what breed rooster you get. They are all individuals and will have their own personalities. A lot has to do with how they are raised. It think they develop better when raised within a flock of adult birds as they learn manners and proper behavior from the older, experienced birds.

Personally, I would look for someone who has an "oops" rooster or cockerel that they need to rehome and go visit him to make sure he is not human aggressive and is healthy. Then bring him home and quarantine him for a month, then do the 'look don't touch' integration with him and your hens for a few days and watch his reactions to your hens. AND how he behaves with you in his space near the hens his is going to be trying to win over.

If he is still behaving, remove the barrier and permit him to interact with your girls. He may immediately try to mount someone. See if he asks first and if she squats down for him willingly.

Adopting an older cockerel/young rooster that was raised in a flock is the way to go IMO.

 

[aart]

I'm mainly wanting a rooster to be a lookout/protector for when I let them free range, but I also want a rooster that won't be as prone to aggression towards us.

Both of these attributes are not going to determined by breed.
Every bird is an individual and it's about impossible to know their behaviors until you see them.

Oh, you already know that.....

I also understand that any breed is capable of being aggressive and it is always a possibility no matter what.

So not sure why you even ask.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My preferences would be a Buff Orp or Welsummer. Not because any of them would be a better protector or is prone to be more or less aggressive, that is just a crap shoot. But a cross with your SLW will give red sex linked chicks and a cross with your Barred Rock will give you black sex linked chicks. That's just my preferences, your preferences may be totally different.

Dobie makes a good point about your climate. It's surprising how often knowing roughly where you live can be helpful. You might modify your profile to show your general location so it is always available. You may notice many of us do.

 

[DarkAngel77]

Where do you live, in general?

If you live where winter temperatures can drop sub-zero, I strongly suggest you avoid roosters with a single comb as they will be susceptible to frostbite. This Leghorn mix was hatched out from a brown egg under one of my hens. I ended up keeping him (for now) because of his nice disposition. But we have had quite the cold spell with many nights sub-zero and days in the single digits. His wattles dunked in the fount waterer and this is what he is now dealing with.
View attachment 4037351
Single comb roosters tend to grow large wattles as well.

Other than selecting a bird that can physically do well in your climate, it doesn't matter what breed rooster you get. They are all individuals and will have their own personalities. A lot has to do with how they are raised. It think they develop better when raised within a flock of adult birds as they learn manners and proper behavior from the older, experienced birds.

Personally, I would look for someone who has an "oops" rooster or cockerel that they need to rehome and go visit him to make sure he is not human aggressive and is healthy. Then bring him home and quarantine him for a month, then do the 'look don't touch' integration with him and your hens for a few days and watch his reactions to your hens. AND how he behaves with you in his space near the hens his is going to be trying to win over.

If he is still behaving, remove the barrier and permit him to interact with your girls. He may immediately try to mount someone. See if he asks first and if she squats down for him willingly.

Adopting an older cockerel/young rooster that was raised in a flock is the way to go IMO.

I live in Oklahoma, where the summer heat is usually a bigger issue then the winter, although these past few Winters we have had unusually colder temps/cold fronts but they have only lasted a couple weeks at most and have not dropped below 0. These past couple cold fronts, the coldest temps were in the upper teens at night. I have a few hens that have bigger combs and thankfully none got frost bite and they all handled the cold pretty good.


My thing about getting an older rooster is all of the roosters I have been seeing people in my area trying to rehome they are breeds that I either don't have or they are mixes, and I would like to have a rooster that is the same breed as some of my hens so I can hatch off more of that breed, or like someone else commented below, have specific mixes. Also I am scared about diseases and such, I know that's why I would have to quarantine him for awhile before I introduced him to the flock, but it is a fear that even after quarantine he may expose my flock to something. All of my hens are disease and parasite free, I have not brought in any adult birds because of the fear of possibly exposing them to something. I know it's probably an irrational fear but if I brought in an adult bird and they exposed my chickens to something and I lost my flock, I'd be devastated. I know losses are inevitable and could happen even with all necessary precautions being taken, but its something that I do fear and would really prefer to avoid any chances.

 

[DarkAngel77]

Both of these attributes are not going to determined by breed.
Every bird is an individual and it's about impossible to know their behaviors until you see them.

Oh, you already know that.....

So not sure why you even ask.

Thanks, your answer was extremely helpful. With that said, I have read that some breeds are more prone to aggression, such as game roosters, I've also read a great deal that RIR are generally not as friendly and is a bit more prone to aggression then say a Buff Orpington rooster. I've also read that Leghorn roosters aren't generally good roosters to have because they are flighty and have been known to have aggression.


My question was directed towards people who have had Wyandotte roosters trying to get their opinion and experiences with SLW roosters and how they have compared to other roosters they may have had or have. I was always taught that you won't ever learn anything if you don't ask. I'm not asking people to give me a definite answer on what rooster to get because nobody has that answer. I'm pretty sure this whole forum/site is for people to learn, and a big part of learning is to ask others experiences and opinions. I'm not the only one who asks people's opinions on certain breeds, I won't be the last to ask either, because sometimes people don't have friends to ask their opinions or experiences with certain breeds.

 

[DarkAngel77]

My preferences would be a Buff Orp or Welsummer. Not because any of them would be a better protector or is prone to be more or less aggressive, that is just a crap shoot. But a cross with your SLW will give red sex linked chicks and a cross with your Barred Rock will give you black sex linked chicks. That's just my preferences, your preferences may be totally different.

Dobie makes a good point about your climate. It's surprising how often knowing roughly where you live can be helpful. You might modify your profile to show your general location so it is always available. You may notice many of us do.

I will look around and try to add my location. I think I tried to before but couldn't figure it out. I live in Oklahoma, we have been getting colder temps in the winter, the past couple cold fronts the lowest temps were the upper teens at night, but our summer heats can be 100+ for weeks at a time.


I thought I could breed a BO with my BR and get black sexlinks, didn't realize I could get red sexlinks with my SLW and a BO. Honestly, for a rooster it has been between a SLW or a BO, and a BR but mainly a SLW or BO. The biggest reason for SLW is because I absolutely love how laid back my SLW hen is and am just hopeful that a rooster would be just as easy going. Also, was planning on buying straight run of whatever breed I choose and would be keeping the pullets, and personally wouldn't mind adding a few more SLW hens.

 

[TOMTE]

Here's where you add your location!

 

[TOMTE]

I don't have any experience with roos, but I adore my 2 SLW pullets. They aren't very affectionate but they are friendly and love to talk to me.

I wouldn't worry too much about the cold in Oklahoma. Honestly, most chickens tolerate cold fairly well, as long as they're properly acclimated. It got down to about -10⁰F the other day here and the girls weren't happy about it, but they were fine.

In my opinion it'd be best to go with heat hardy breeds. But I'm no expert so refer to any educators and other experienced users who comment first!

 

[DarkAngel77]

Here's where you add your location!
View attachment 4037390View attachment 4037391

Thank you. I just added my location.