What breed of rooster is best?

[llefave]

I would like to add a rooster to my flock. I want a dual purpose bird and one that will do his job gently. I dont want to be attacked. I dont want my hens to be bloody all the time. My flock now consists of 7 hens. RIR, BO, Black sexlink, two leghorns, Manchester red, and a EE

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[ChickenGrass]

Well what breed do you like?
Here's a list of utility breeds

The generalist breeds used in barnyards worldwide are adaptable utility birds good at producing both meat and eggs. Though some may be slightly better for one of these purposes, they are usually called dual-purpose breeds.

Australorp
Brahma
Braekel (Brakel)
Buckeye
California Gray
Chantecler
Cubalaya
Derbyshire Redcap
Dominique
Dorking
Faverolles
Holland
Iowa Blue
Java
Jersey Giant
Marsh Daisy
Naked-neck
New Hampshire
Norfolk Grey
Orpington
Plymouth Rock
Poltava
Red Shaver
Rhode Island Red
Rhode Island White
Scots Dumpy
Scots Grey
Sussex
Winnebago
Wyandotte

Goodluck

 

[llefave]

I really appreciate the list but its rather confusing to go through all of those breeds. I thought maybe someone with personal experience could chime in. I would like a roo I can breed that will produce offspring worth keeping for eggs or meat. But I dont want anything mean. I thought about a Banty but the results would be not worth mentioning it seems.

 

[ChickenGrass]

ok
I used to breed buff orpingtons.
They were ok egg layers but had a good bit of meat.
the roosters and hens were both friendly
they were also good broodys.

I also kept light sussex.
they were excellent layers and broodys.
they had a nice bit of meat too.
The rooster and hens were not aggressive.

The bantam utility breeds obviously lay smaller eggs and wont have as much meat.
I find that bantam roosters can be a little more aggressive but cant do much ham.
I have coronation sussex bantams which are utility but the rooster is quet.

I think it depends on the rooster.
some are aggressive and some are not.
I have 2 barbu danver roosters and one of them will attack your hand
and the other one would almost let you pick him up

goodluck

 

[aart]

Breed has little to do with a 'good' cockbird....tho some breeds can be more aggressive than others.

It has more to do with the line of bird, as aggression can be hereditary.
Can also have to do with housing and space and overall flock dynamics.
Most of all, IMO, it has to do with how the keeper raises and interacts with the cockerel.

I have a Welsummer cock that is fantastic, had a Dark Brahma mix that was great too.
Both are pretty big birds so make for heftier cockerels for the grill.

What are your desires and goals for having a cockbird?
How old are your girls?

Best bet is to find a nice adult cockbird that someone needs to get rid of but won't eat because they are just too nice of a bird.
That's what happened to my Dk. Brahma.

 

[Naser]

I would go for RIR rooster, "I have one ". many of the egg laying hybrids are fathered by RIR, they say they can be aggressive but I don't find that is true. the current one is my second RIR and I will always have one.

 

[BabyandCotton]

Go for a salmon favorolle. My aunt owns one and he is soo sweet. He is a year and a half and crows maybe twice a day. He's never shown aggression to them (she has 4 kids under 10) or the hens, or their mouthy dog who likes to chase the hens

 

[donrae]

With those breeds of hens, I'd go with a more egg production oriented male. Your hens are layers for the most part, so that makes sense. When you hatch cockerels, you can still eat them of course, they'll just be smaller. Myself, I'd rather have a pound or two less on a cockerel and an extra egg or two a week from the pullets for the next 2-3 years.

Something else to keep in mind is what you want to look at. Color isn't the prime concern, but you do look at these birds every day and they may as well be pleasing to the eye

. If you get a black rooster, you'll have mostly black chicks. If you get a black barred rooster, you'll have black barred chicks. Red plays pretty nice with other colors, as does Buff. A rooster of those colors would make for a nice colorful flock.

I wouldn't worry about breed so much as the individual bird. How old are your hens? If they're mature and laying, I'd advise you to look for a juvenile cockerel, around 3-4 months. Let him be raised right by your hens. They'll teach him good manners before his hormones start flowing. Once he's old enough to mate, he'll have to prove himself to them. He'll also learn about watching for predators from the current lead hen. You'll be able to watch him learn about calling the hens for treats, etc. and make sure he's the right bird for you. Don't expect full male duties from him until he's probably 7 months old.

As far as him being aggressive to you.....starting young is a good idea for that also. I raise a lot of cockerels and don't have any aggressive birds. I treat them as livestock, not pets. This means, I basically ignore them and just want them to respect me and stay out of my way. I don't pick them up or handle them. I simply go about my business in the coop and run. They're not allowed to get too close to me or peck at my shoes, etc. That's bad manners. If they start acting aggressive (sidling up to me, dropping a wing, overall acting too bold) I stomp at them and make them move away from me. Just letting them know I'm not available for interaction. Basically, I'm too busy for them. they seem to get that and move off to find better things to do.

 

[llefave]

LOTS of great information!!! I was leaning towards a barred. Sounds like I would only get one color of chick. We live on a 1/2 acre and our chickens free range. We are entertained by them and how he looks and his offspring look does matter. I'm thinking the stronger egg layer makes sense. Mybe a buff? Anyone in South Florida have an older buff I can buy?

 

[austrolover1]

With all the breeds of chickens I have had over the years, the tamest (aka non-aggressiveness) and the best meat and egg birds were our Buff Orpingtons. I have heard a lot about Austrolorps being tamer than most roosters, but mine weren't, and one of them was put in the pot last month.

X2 to all @donrae said.

You can make a "Wanted" thread on the Buy Sell Trade forum!