Which Roo to keep and who goes...

[EggsForIHOP]

The time has come to decide which out of 3 EE roos gets to stay...and who goes...

Personality - they all have it! No one is more agressive than the others.

Looks - 2 are almost like twins, the third is all white

Reason - I know eventually they won't get along as well as they do now, and I would rather separate myself from the 2 that are destined for a different future now.

Who would you keep?



This is one of the black and white fellas.....

It's so hard to decide! But I know if I don't distance myself mentally now that with these guys it will be harder to - I still call them 'the chicks' and my babies! Who should stay?

 

[MrChicken207]

Keep the white one. It'll have more genetic variety when it comes to the coloring (white is just the absence of coloring. the genes of another color should be there too).

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Really? I haven't done any research on chicken genes/genetics....i would have thought it would be the other way though....don't ask why, I just thought it would be...this is good to know for sure. Thanks! I really figured white was like a recessive thing for some reason...

 

[MrChicken207]

There is an article on the forums here about sex-linked genetics. BTW what color are the pullets?

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Most look like the brown one below...




There are 2 that are black and white like the one in the pic here with the roo......



I'm not all UTD on my EE colors and such like I should be I guess. I just know I think they are all gorgeous colors! (Of course, no one thinks their babies are ugly right? I mean, they are my babies, so I automatically think they are lovely ladies).


Am I a little throwed off...yes. Does it bother me? Not so much. I shall do a search for the genetics article....

 

[MrChicken207]

How many pullets do you have? You could always keep 2 roosters.

 

[EggsForIHOP]

It's not so much about space, or how many we have room/hens for. It's totally about the crowing. When one goes off, they ALL go off - this tends to be an all day thing. One at a time - not so bad. 3 at a time - enough to make the neighbors crazy. It's more a respect thing. I do respect my neighbors and their right to have a peaceful place....I just can't justify more than 1 or 2 roosters based upon how much they crow and the hours they choose to do so - and my little bantam roo gets to stay so him plus one EE = 2. I figure that 2 of them make plenty of noise, but less noise by far than 4 do. So....2 must go if only for my neighbors sanity. No one's complained yet, a few even have chickens. But only one other neighbor keeps roos, and he has only got 2 as well. Just trying to be neighborly and realistic at the same time. There is no need for more than 1 EE roo. Sad, but true - lord knows I will miss whoever ends up cutting 86'd. But I just can't see keeping everyone around.

 

[burquechick]

I think you have the opportunity to be really picky as to which genes you want to keep in your flock. I would take some time to really scrutinize your boys for defects vs. benefits. Check out this site on chicken genetics too, it might really help and it goes into detail, at length, about the various genes that make up "white".

Chicken genes of common interest