Which boys should I sell?

ChickenLittle5

Chirping
Mar 24, 2020
92
65
88
TN
We just sold 4 chickens and are down to 22, seven of which are cockerel. They are 21 weeks old. Ideally, I’d like to keep two—one Easter Egger and one Bielefelde in case we decide to let them have chicks. We had one that was picking fights with all the other chicks, so he was the first to go. Now I’m not sure. I thought if we waited long enough it would be obvious which ones to keep, but they all seem fairly gentle and I don’t want to wait for it to become an issue. Absent any behavioral issues, how do you decide which ones to keep? The Bielefelders look the same although some are bigger than others. The EE look completely different (see photos). Is one color more desirable than the other in terms of offspring? Does pecking order matter?
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You could let your hens choose the cockerels as in observe which they will follow around the most.

Or you choose the ones you like best according to you own preferences.

My choice would be the darker EE and one of the Bielefelders, but I would need some more pictures to define exactly which of them to keep.

Inspect them all for lice or other possible health issues, weigh them and compare the Bielefelders to their SOP.

Other than that their individual social skills will be of importance too.
 
You could let your hens choose the cockerels as in observe which they will follow around the most.
I’ll have to pay closer attention to see if the pullets are following any of the boys. At the moment it seems like the girls are hiding from all the boys, otherwise they corner her and take turns mating. They seem to prefer the pullet that is laying, and when one cockerel gets her down, the others literally line up for a turn. That is one more reason why I need to decide sooner rather than later!
Inspect them all for lice or other possible health issues, weigh them and compare the Bielefelders to their SOP.

Other than that their individual social skills will be of importance too.
That is a good idea. Where can I find SOP for the Bielefelders? As for social skills, they all seem fairly gentle to us and each other.
 
That is a good idea. Where can I find SOP for the Bielefelders? As for social skills, they all seem fairly gentle to us and each other.

Here you go: https://www.facebook.com/notes/biel...lder-kennhuhn-breed-standard/568272750043505/

I’ll have to pay closer attention to see if the pullets are following any of the boys. At the moment it seems like the girls are hiding from all the boys, otherwise they corner her and take turns mating. They seem to prefer the pullet that is laying, and when one cockerel gets her down, the others literally line up for a turn. That is one more reason why I need to decide sooner rather than later!

Is there perhaps any of the cockerels starting to defend the pullets against the other cockerels from being harrassed and violated?
 
You want to really examine them, hands on, as feathers hide a lot of sins. Check feet, you want really good feet as crooked toes can damage hens. Check beak alignment, need to meet as correctly as possible. Feel the back, feel the breast area. Check the legs. As stated above - weigh them. Look at some different SOP's you can learn a lot about chicken frames from them.

I too would think that at this stage, the keepers and the leavers would be more evident, I wish you were closer, they are handsome boys.

Mrs k
 
It's really hard to decide by behavior, as that can change when there are fewer males.
A previously docile male can turn into a terror once his superiors are gone.
Just went thru this.
 

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