What traits are most important in chosing a good rooster?

[JenMT]

I have 7 new straight run buff Orpingtons that are about 2-3 weeks old. Using suggestions from people here at BYC I think that I have identified 4 roosters and 3 pullets out of my new flock of babies, but I will wait until 4-5 weeks to find out for sure. I plan on keeping only one and possibly two of those little ones and giving the rest to a girlfriend. I want a good rooster but I don't really know what to look for as far as possitive traits. I want a friendly and protective little guy but I don't know really what other physical and other traits are important. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help in advance...I appreciate all of you.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

You will likely want to wait until they hit puberty before deciding. Both of my roos were sweet docile little things until their hormones kicked in.

Also, make sure you read Rooster Red's rooster page. I made some major mistakes from the onset and I'm paying for it now with an aggressive banty roo.

Good luck!

 

[JenMT]

Hey thanks, when would puberty come for a rooster? Like 20-25 weeks about the time a pullet would start to lay?

Where do I find Rooster Red's rooster page...I'm looking but not finding. Is here at BYC?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Gosh... I can't remember when they hit. If I remember correctly, it was about the same time the girls started thinking about laying. It was definitely before they actually laid.

Use the search option in the tool bar above and look for Rooster Red's posts. His page is a link in his tagline. He has a whole page on rooster behaviour.

Roos are great, but they are very particular creatures.

 

[Guitartists]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2588-Roo_behavior

 

[gritsar]

Jen, I don't consider my rooster friendly. I do consider him respectful. He doesn't like to be held, but gives me no sass if I have to pick him up. I usually do it at night after he's gone to roost if I need to hold him for some reason.
All in all, my rooster is a tad bit afraid of me and I consider that to be a good thing. He won't challenge me because he's just enough afraid of me to keep him in his place. This is the rooster that I never held as a baby. IMO, familiarity makes them less afraid of you and more likely to challenge you. The rooster I held all the time when he was a baby is the one I ended up having problems with.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

What gritstar said.
My banty that I babied is a thorn in my side. My BO that I didn't handle much is a lot more respectful.

 

[JenMT]

Oh right! That would make sense, thank you gritsar and CityGirlintheCountry.

How about physical characteristics? Any suggestions? Where could I go to find that info. Do I want shorter sturdier legs, the biggest, fattest and reddest comb, heavier feathering, shorter wings etc OR is all that stuff just a matter of person opinion?

 

[Fancie]

get there first thing in the morning and find the quitest one.... lol.... sorry had to... but if I was to do it all over again thats how I would of chose

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
It's just a matter of personal opionion. When making a choice of young cockerels you already have, pick the one that appeals to you most in looks, is easygoing with the other chickens and is not aggressive to you, other humans, or animals.
ETA: If you do some searching around you might be able to find the breed standard for the breed you have. To me, that's only important if you intend to get heavily into breeding or showing. Although my roo is a really nice example of the breed, I chose him because of his personality.