What defines a good rooster?

[llombardo]

Obviously one that is not human aggressive.

So I originally bought 4 chicks, 2 turned out to be roosters. One is a leghorn and one is a silver laced. The leghorn is actually a week younger then the other 3. I'm not sure how this will play out but I have found a rescue to take the leghorn as a plan b and I got 4 more hopefully females(they are 3 weeks), the older ones 10-11 weeks.

So this is what I'm observing...

The leghorn is already perfected crowing at about 8 weeks--it took me until yesterday to catch him in the act. He crows at 5:15 a few times, then another cycle at 5:30- not terribly bad. I believe he started because the one across the street got into a cycle of crowing all day non stop and he was responding. He also crows when he hears me come home at lunch and at the end of the day. The SLW has been quiet. I have saw them chest pump each other a couple times(the whole time they have been together)--a simple no ends it. The leghorn seems to have taken on the role of head rooster. He is the first one to roost and the rest follow. He is not super friendly like the girls and the SLW(he is not as friendly as the girls but friendlier then the leghorn) If I'm sitting down he will approach and jump on me but doesn't want to be pet.one of the ducks jumped and kinda landed on one of the girls(enought that she made a noise)the leg horn puffed up and went after the duck(I'm going to put them together more often so they can get acquainted again) , the SLW backed him up(did not puff up though) I straightened out the situation quick. No harm done to anyone, but I was surprised that he seemed to be defending one of the girls at such a young age. He doesn't have any fear and he completely respects me so far. I'm kind of thinking he is a decent rooster.

What else am I looking for here? I so want the two boys to get along so I can keep both. Will the SLW eventually try to take the lead here or have they already figured this out among themselves?

 

[HuskerHens18]

Do you plan on getting more hens in the future? I highly suggest it If you'd like to keep both. If you can't get more hens, I would probably separate them if you can. Give each rooster a hen.

I keep 6 roosters with my hens, everything is perfect. The roosters protect my hens so wonderfully, they keep them herded in safe groups.
One rooster is "The King". He roosts first and groups the girls of his choice, he keeps other roosters in order by pecking them if they try to mate with his hens.
If you watch them close and keep fighting to a minimum, you can keep both.
They will both hit a point where hormones kick in and they'll be all over your girls and probably fight even more. I just fought through it with them. I would sometimes crate the roosters next to each other so they always remembered each other, then my hens got a break too.
My tip is DONT GIVE UP! Anything is possible if you keep with it.

 

[llombardo]

Right now I got the original 2 females plus the 4 (hopefully) girls I just got two days ago. So I will have 6 girls. Now if the boys get along I don't have a problem with setting up another coop in the enclosure and getting a few more girls and letting them all decide where they want to roost at night.

All I wanted were 4 girls and here we are....

 

[HuskerHens18]

Right now I got the original 2 females plus the 4 (hopefully) girls I just got two days ago. So I will have 6 girls. Now if the boys get along I don't have a problem with setting up another coop in the enclosure and getting a few more girls and letting them all decide where they want to roost at night.

All I wanted were 4 girls and here we are....

Chickens are addicting, they somehow convince us to keep getting more
Part of this is your judgement too, obviously none of us can see what you do. If a few months down the road you feel they aren't happy together, there's plenty of options. Rehome, cook em, or start an entire new flock(which is what I did haha!). I have a flock that consists of ONLY roosters. Since there's no competition for females, they get along just fine.

 

[Folly's place]

These cockerels are too young to really know how they will behave as young adults. Get those additional pullets, and keep both boys for now, unless the 'rescue' is really a good place for your leghorn.
In a few months, as they are maturing, you will be able to make a better decision.
I'm not a fan of having a cockerel jump onto my lap!!! This is very bold behavior, and may not turn out well.
Mary

 

[HuskerHens18]

I'm not a fan of having a cockerel jump onto my lap!!! This is very bold behavior, and may not turn out well.
Mary

I forgot to mention that! I NEVER allow my roosters to approach me. I approach them. Period. That's when human attacking starts. You can break them of human attacking, but it can be really tedious and if you have kids it might not be worth it for you.
If you want to hand feed them, walk over to them and stick out your hand. If you want to hold them, you walk over and pick them up. Don't let them control you, you are the boss!

 

[llombardo]

These cockerels are too young to really know how they will behave as young adults. Get those additional pullets, and keep both boys for now, unless the 'rescue' is really a good place for your leghorn.
In a few months, as they are maturing, you will be able to make a better decision.
I'm not a fan of having a cockerel jump onto my lap!!! This is very bold behavior, and may not turn out well.
Mary

It is nothing like the girls. He is more curious I think. He jumps up there with the others, pecks for food like the others, then goes on his way. The girls lay down and sleep in my lap.

I don't even have names for these guys. They were Daisy and Diva...I don't want them to get a complex here...lol

 

[bobbi-j]

It is nothing like the girls. He is more curious I think. He jumps up there with the others, pecks for food like the others, then goes on his way. The girls lay down and sleep in my lap.

I don't even have names for these guys. They were Daisy and Diva...I don't want them to get a complex here...lol

In my opinion, a good rooster is one that keeps his distance. He does NOT jump on me (really - I would stop that ASAP), and rarely comes near me. A good rooster will take his hens away when I approach. He will tidbit for the hens and keep an eye out for predators. That's his job. When I discover I have a cockerel, I stop interacting with it entirely. When they're big enough to be outside, I will walk through them just because I can. If one approaches me, I back him up. If one challenges me, I run after him. I don't for one minute let them think they have the upper hand (which yours does when he's jumping in your lap).

 

[Folly's place]

x2! Actually, no bird jumps on me. If I wanted to be jumped on, I would specifically invite this behavior, and never with a cockerel or cock bird.
Mary

 

[llombardo]

I forgot to mention that! I NEVER allow my roosters to approach me. I approach them. Period. That's when human attacking starts. You can break them of human attacking, but it can be really tedious and if you have kids it might not be worth it for you.
If you want to hand feed them, walk over to them and stick out your hand. If you want to hold them, you walk over and pick them up. Don't let them control you, you are the boss!

This makes sense to me. It was confusing at first because I thought I had all girls, so they were all treated the same. The leghorn was always more on his own. He did get picked on by the others and I had to treat him with blue kote. I had no problems grabbing him and treating him. Of course the mentality was a little different because again I thought I had girls. I have no problem correcting him and so far he takes the correction without issue.


I'm just amazed at how fast they grow and how they change