What breed of rooster should I get?

[anc2908]

I currently have a mixed flock of 5 hens (2 Australorps, 1 NH Red, 1 Barred Cochin, and 1 that I'm pretty sure is an EE). A few of my favorite breeds I'd like to integrate are Wyandottes (love their feather pattern), some colored eggs layers (prefer some blue or green shades),possibly a couple lavender orphingtons, and maybe a silkie or 2. I've had my current flock for a couple years now but I'm new to the whole breeding but my ideal situation would be to have birds that look more like wyandottes but lay blue/green eggs. I've considered possibly getting 1 wyandotte roo and 1 EE, Aracuana, or Ameracuana and just having 2 roos but I don't know how well that would work. So if it comes down to just getting 1 or the other then which would be best to achieve the wyandotte look with possible colored egg layers?

 

[anc2908]

Oh and by the way if it helps I do free range my flock in my back yard that's a little over 1/2 an acre I'd say. And they have a fairly large coop that is around 4×6 ft if that helps. I don't know that it would be sufficient to maintain 2 roosters though?

 

[MeepBeep]

You barely have enough hens to keep even one spunky roo happy, of course individual roos will vary some and some are more laid back, but you won't really get an idea on their personality until they are about 1 year old... As young 'teen' roosters they are just like teenage boys with only one thing on their mind, you need to get past that stage to really evaluate their 'needs' and the number of hens they will be content with, without over breeding... Chances are good you will need build or at least plan for an isolation cage and keep him separate from the girl at times or he is bound to stress them out and pluck them clean of feathers as he mates them all day long...

 

[anc2908]

I do have a large chain link dog kennel that is going to be put up to be used for an insulation area. I do plan on adding in about another 10 hens when I add in the new rooster. I'll be getting them as chicks and raising them all together. So that will put me at 15 hens total. Would that only be enough for 1 rooster?

 

[MeepBeep]

ISo that will put me at 15 hens total. Would that only be enough for 1 rooster?

That should be enough for one rooster and possibly two if your roosters are gentlemen... It all really depends on your rooster(s) personality once they mature...

 

[anc2908]

Any insights on which would be best if I do only get 1? If I want colored eggs and wyandotte looking chickens would it be best to get an EE Roo and wyandotte girls or vice versa?

 

[TimCline]

Probably better off with the EE roo but for a flock rooster I always prefer bigger "meaner" ones. RIR and American games are my favorite. They are generally good with the hens, and games will defend them with their life. These won't help with laying colored eggs and such but in my experience are the best for the girls. Here is my current flock roo

 

[bobbi-j]

I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe EE is not a breed itself. They are mutts that tend to lay colored eggs. There is a genetics chart somewhere here on the forum that will tell you what colored eggs you may get when crossing different breeds. (It doesn't much matter to me, so I haven't really paid attention to it). Along with not being able to predict what color eggs you may get, I also don't know that you can engineer what the adult birds will look like when you cross your Wyandotte with an EE mutt.

 

[MeepBeep]

I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe EE is not a breed itself. They are mutts that tend to lay colored eggs.

That about sums it up...

The definition of EE will vary with who you ask...

A general definition from many poultry keepers is that an EE is non-purebred chicken that carries the dominate blue egg gene, and thus will lay a blue or green egg or pass that blue gene on to offspring...

The problem is that many of the big hatcheries and many other people call any non-purebred barnyard mixed chicken that lays any colored egg, be it cream, pink, orange, brown, blue, green or any other color in between an EE...

There is no defined or even accepted genetic makeup for EE at the end of the day...

 

[anc2908]

Well my ladies have free run of the property but security has never been an issue. The yard is surrounded by chain link and they share the area with my pb pig and 2 small dogs so the other animals kind of serve as their body guards. Really the main reason I'm considering adding a rooster to my flock is because of my survivalist/prepper paranoia lol just like to be able to have more chicky's if there's ever a reason I wasn't able to order them.