Which one to butcher?

[Paz]

I have two roosters on eight hens. I thought for a long time one of them is a lady, but he’s not.
Anyway, how do you guys decide which one becomes chicken soup?
Every time I decided, I’ve regretted the decision I’ve made, realizing the soup cock was a better fit to stay the peck leader instead of the living cock.
Edit: example: I had an aggressive towards dogs and cats and my brother cock whom I decided to kill only to find a week later 75% of my flock was killed by a dog.
So, any advice?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Whichever one is more eye catching stays if both are polite to people and hens.

Keep whichever body you would like to eat

 

[Molpet]

https://bramblewoodhill.com/breeding-chickens-meat-production/

I look at
1 aggression, it seems to be passed on
2 weight
3 confirmation.. no crooked toes ECT
4 personality
5 who the hens like

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have two roosters on eight hens. I thought for a long time one of them is a lady, but he’s not.
Anyway, how do you guys decide which one becomes chicken soup?

I never cut down to one rooster if possible due to accidents, predation, or illness.. I understand feeding an extra mouth isn't an option for everyone though. In truth 8 hens is too many for an individual rooster to attend properly in more natural settings. How confined (or free) is your flock?

Cockerels (roosters under a year old), don't count, haven't proven themselves, and may still change their attitude once the whole gig is his own. They usually weed themselves out. As far as I can tell we are actually talking about pullets and cockerels here??

Ratios matter some but attitude of individuals matters more.. I've successfully kept two stags over just 4 ladies withOUT broken saddles, bare backs, etc. I wouldn't recommend it most of the time, BUT it did happen.

A single rooster may still over mate his favored hen despite having plenty too choose from.

Aggression towards dogs or cats is never tolerated here.. while some roosters may successfully fend off a predator.. most the time they're just front line sacrifices or part of the fallout.. In other words NO match for most the predators my flock will ever face.

My personal dogs won't let a stray into our (fenced but only 4 feet high) pasture and will be more equally matched should one try. A balanced cock should be able to stand watch and discern threat from non threat without having to go after them from across the way. Able to watch them walk by or even run by.. maybe voice a little protest but without attacking for no reason. I think you made the right choice but am very sorry for your loss and experience.

I will note that when my head is screwed on right.. those birds are also harvested if possible for the table or (other pets) instead of wasted/composted.. doesn't really feel any better but it's still good to remember we have options.

Beyond that, the purpose of keeping the rooster would effect determinations.. Is it a certain breed with standards of perfection to meet (which you also care about and are breeding towards), Or if there's no SOP then who contributes most to egg production verses meat production.. egg color contribution.. definitely who the ladies like but also which one I like looking at.

If not breeding for sustainability of some sort.. then eat em both and let the ladies live in peace.. a head hen will still make predator calls and such. A GOOD rooster is worth his weight in gold, both to the keeper and the flock ladies.. on a deeper level than predator protections.. and I'm not trying to discount that.. they are few and far between in MY experience.. it's worth continuing though.. if at first you don't succeed. Try, try again!

Post pics and descriptions of different behaviors and or characteristics that maybe you wanna discuss about your boys.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Anyway, how do you guys decide which one becomes chicken soup?

What are your goals with your chickens, how does a rooster fit in with those goals? Why do you want a rooster and what do you want him to contribute? Do you want him to father chicks? Choose the rooster that has the traits you want those chicks to have. It's your goals and desires that count, not mine. It has to be your decision.

Every time I decided, I’ve regretted the decision I’ve made,

You made the best decision you could with the information available at the time. Hindsight is great, if we could use hindsight we'd avoid the problems we've had. We'd probably have different problems but not necessarily the same ones. There is no profit in regretting those decisions, learn from them and keep moving forward.

 

[Paz]

I never cut down to one rooster if possible due to accidents, predation, or illness.. I understand feeding an extra mouth isn't an option for everyone though. In truth 8 hens is too many for an individual rooster to attend properly in more natural settings. How confined (or free) is your flock?

Cockerels (roosters under a year old), don't count, haven't proven themselves, and may still change their attitude once the whole gig is his own. They usually weed themselves out. As far as I can tell we are actually talking about pullets and cockerels here??

Ratios matter some but attitude of individuals matters more.. I've successfully kept two stags over just 4 ladies withOUT broken saddles, bare backs, etc. I wouldn't recommend it most of the time, BUT it did happen.

A single rooster may still over mate his favored hen despite having plenty too choose from.

Aggression towards dogs or cats is never tolerated here.. while some roosters may successfully fend off a predator.. most the time they're just front line sacrifices or part of the fallout.. In other words NO match for most the predators my flock will ever face.

My personal dogs won't let a stray into our (fenced but only 4 feet high) pasture and will be more equally matched should one try. A balanced cock should be able to stand watch and discern threat from non threat without having to go after them from across the way. Able to watch them walk by or even run by.. maybe voice a little protest but without attacking for no reason. I think you made the right choice but am very sorry for your loss and experience.

I will note that when my head is screwed on right.. those birds are also harvested if possible for the table or (other pets) instead of wasted/composted.. doesn't really feel any better but it's still good to remember we have options.

Beyond that, the purpose of keeping the rooster would effect determinations.. Is it a certain breed with standards of perfection to meet (which you also care about and are breeding towards), Or if there's no SOP then who contributes most to egg production verses meat production.. egg color contribution.. definitely who the ladies like but also which one I like looking at.

If not breeding for sustainability of some sort.. then eat em both and let the ladies live in peace.. a head hen will still make predator calls and such. A GOOD rooster is worth his weight in gold, both to the keeper and the flock ladies.. on a deeper level than predator protections.. and I'm not trying to discount that.. they are few and far between in MY experience.. it's worth continuing though.. if at first you don't succeed. Try, try again!

Post pics and descriptions of different behaviors and or characteristics that maybe you wanna discuss about your boys.

Both rohde Island reds, about the same age. The girls like both of them, they're about six months old. The ladies are different ages and breeds: I have an old Arab, one old legbar, one RIR and a bunch of leghorns.
When I realised I have ONE cockerel, I thought is was gonna eat him, but my dog decided to kill the legbar rooster, so I decided to keep him, and then his twin sister became a brother...
They really like each other, which made me delay again and again the conclusion that they're both male. The bigger one actually tells the smaller one when he finds good food, and sends away the elders so they don't take it away from smaller cock.
I do want them to have chicks, preferably with the leghorns, so I have healthier layers...
Coop size: about 16 sqM. They roam outside for a few hovers every day. Their roost is inside the coop. They have two feed containers and two water containers inside. They also have a feed and water container outside.

 

[Paz]

Here’s a video of the coop and boys

 

[Molpet]

The bigger one actually tells the smaller one when he finds good food, and sends away the elders so they don't take it away from smaller cock.

I would keep the bigger, but if they are getting along you could keep both. The dominate may be inhibiting the other and they may continue to get along.
I usually have 2 in each coop of 12 to 16 hens. After I'm done hatching I opened them up to one big poultry yard and each coop stays away from each other mostly. Once I had a rooster get a broken foot from his son from another coop. But otherwise it's more the hens fighting.

Now game cocks will kill each other, mine are meat mutts and not so agressive

 

[Molpet]

Post in thread 'Developing My Own Breed Of Large Gamefowl For Free Range Survival (Junglefowl x Liege)' https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ival-junglefowl-x-liege.1424023/post-26178962

 

[Paz]

View attachment 3272142

Post in thread 'Developing My Own Breed Of Large Gamefowl For Free Range Survival (Junglefowl x Liege)' https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ival-junglefowl-x-liege.1424023/post-26178962

Yes they’re really good friends. But in Israel there’s a Jewish holiday where you take a cock and circle it over your head and eat it. And it’s next week, so I might sell the smaller one for the stupid holiday.