hello! i have a small backyard flock that i am looking at adding to. i would like to get a few more layers, but also a roo. the girls need some protection, as we have had issues with hawks, racoons and a neighborhood dog. i live in an suburban area with my children, soooo a gentelman who is polite, protective, quiet-ish and friendly would be ideal. breed wise, looking for a roo who is a dual purpose breed, and who carries a brown or tinted egg gene. oh, not asking too much am i? can he cook and clean too? any whoo thinking of the following big guys: brahma, jersey giant, BO, langshan, sussex, EE what are ya'lls experiences with the above boys, what about any other suggestions? thanks!! 'toast
Where are you located? It appears that I have about a dozen young roos in need of good homes. Two of which appear to be a cross between a Delaware hen and an Araucana roo (this is just a guess, but one of them has no tail and the breeder doesn't keep any Manx Rumpless...). Most of my boys are Delawares, plus 3 BRs.
The only ones I've had on that list are the EE's. I'm having good luck with the guy I have now, but I had 3 meanies before. I had an Australorp cross that was a really great rooster. He died defending his girls. He was really friendly, too. I do love my Australorp girls. Of course I love my little Phoenix/Silkie cross, but he is small and couldn't take on anything bigger then a chipmunk. He's super sweet, though and a real cuddle bug and very good at acting like a big rooster.
One consideration is not to keep a rooster who is way too large for your hens. For instance, I would not keep my Blue Orpington, Suede, as my main flock rooster with my various breeds because he is simply large enough to hurt most of my hens, even though they are all standard sizes. The Brahma may be too large for an Easter Egger hen, for example.
I have some surplus roos that I would be willing to part with too if you were near here, and they are some of the breeds you listed.
ok, good to know. i hadn't thought of the issue of size for my girls, figured if they were all standards, they would all ...um... hook up... in a safe manner?? i hadn't considered an astralorp, are most of the roo's uber-mellow?? my, my all these extra roosters! alas, i am a good bit from both ya'll, as i am in the st louis metro area. hubbie moved me to the city and any time he complains about the chickens/garden/toilet planter--i keep threatening goats as the next step towards my teeny tiny urban farm. that'll show him! 'toast
I know that it's not on your list, but salmon faverolle roosters are very calm. I don't have any complaints about mine.
My Barred Rock cockrels are the only ones I generally let in the pen with my hens. Now, others do fly in, and the Sussex seem to be gentlemen as well... but I've always had good luck with the Barred Rocks.