Which Breed of Rooster do you prefer?

[Money Pit Zoo]

I’m thinking about trying again with a rooster. My cream Legbar rooster is as non aggressive as can be which unfortunately includes protecting the hens. He’s a big pet and I want a protector for the flock. So I’m thinking I’ll throw in a rooster or two in my up coming order of chicks. I’m thinking a Brahma and/or black australorp. Does anyone have any experience with these types of roosters? Good protectors? Gentle with humans? Other breeds of roosters you love?

 

[sourland]

The greatest protection most provide the flock is as a warning system. Those that fight predators end up dead. Some game fowl roosters will actually fight predators.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I’m thinking about trying again with a rooster. My cream Legbar rooster is as non aggressive as can be which unfortunately includes protecting the hens. He’s a big pet and I want a protector for the flock. So I’m thinking I’ll throw in a rooster or two in my up coming order of chicks. I’m thinking a Brahma and/or black australorp. Does anyone have any experience with these types of roosters? Good protectors? Gentle with humans? Other breeds of roosters you love?

I had a Brahma rooster. I got him from a friend because she had another and couldn’t keep both. I spent a lot of time with him and the worst I ever got was a few pecks he would stop when i firmly told him to stop. He didn’t like my family but I didn’t raise him from a chick so he didn’t know them very well. He was very protective of his hens nothing scared him not even a huge dog! He was huge so because I had so little hens he did hurt them I only had six at the time so I had to get rid of him which was sad. The good thing is he went to a great home!

 

[Folly's place]

@sourland is right about this!
How many birds will you have, and how old is your current rooster? The best way to add roosters is to raise cockerels in your flock, it gives them a good social education, and makes it more likely that they won't fight with each other. This is not a guarantee!!! Often there will be a changing of the guard, as the youngsters mature, and take on the senior bird.
If you have a nice rooster and a small flock, that's a good thing.
Mary

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I’m thinking about trying again with a rooster. My cream Legbar rooster is as non aggressive as can be which unfortunately includes protecting the hens. He’s a big pet and I want a protector for the flock. So I’m thinking I’ll throw in a rooster or two in my up coming order of chicks. I’m thinking a Brahma and/or black australorp. Does anyone have any experience with these types of roosters? Good protectors? Gentle with humans? Other breeds of roosters you love?

I like my Plymouth Barred Rock, because he is docile and good with kids. If you want something more aggressive, the Rhode Island Red is like a pit bull of chickens. You will need to spend more time with him, but when properly raised, they are natural leaders and fighters, just be careful that they don’t claw out your eyes.

 

[Folly's place]

Human aggression does not make a rooster safe to be around for anyone! It also doesn't improve his ability to watch out for his flock, in fact, while he's focused on attacking people, he's ignoring his flock.
We want roosters who are good flock members, watch out for actual dangers, and treat their ladies very well. Their job is to alert the flock, not get killed fighting a losing battle.
And my eyeballs are too important to be risked, much less having a child at risk!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Human aggression is at least in part genetics, and not related to many other good traits, as shown by those game birds bred to fight each other, and be nice to humans. If you only want to have one rooster, maybe one of those would work for you.
Otherwise, RIRs at least from hatcheries tend to be nasty often, while our white Chanteclers from Cackle have all been nice. Your location a goals for your flock all matter! Hot climates and very cold places differ in what breeds would be best. Chanties in the deep south, bad idea. Single combed birds in the north, same thing.
Mary

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Phoenix, hands down, followed by bantam Cornish. Have yet to have an aggressive male in either, and they treat their hens very well

 

[fluffycrow]

A good rooster is a good warning system. An attacker of predators is a dead bird.

Your group doesn't need a boy who is aggressive, it needs a boy that has his eyes and ears on the sky, the ground, the trees, and his hens all at the same time. That's the only way to know when to sound the alarm, to which the hens respond by finding cover (with him also finding cover shortly after). A dead rooster means an unprotected group, that does not know how to watch out for predators, and you don't want that.

Some males can successfully fight off hawks, but that's a gamble, and quite frankly, too risky for the rest of your group, especially if you've got a single male

 

[Money Pit Zoo]

Thank you for all the replies everyone! I have had the pleasure of knowing an excellent rooster. I have two flocks and one is led by Charlie, a Mille Fleur D’uccle, who is so watchful and attentive to his two Porcelein D’uccle and three EE hens and at the same time has never once shown a sign of aggression to people including my small kiddos. He is simply amazing. My other flock of all standard sized chickens is led by Stripey Pants, the cream Legbar, who is only on the lookout for food…for him. I’d like to get another Charlie-like rooster. And I know it’s a crap shoot with roosters, but I’ve got to gamble with something if I want to win and was just curious what some of you would bet on in terms of breed.