Which rooster breed?

[MysteryChicken]

I would not recommend RIR specifically because you have kids in my experience is that they attack and are so mean. I even bought the show type expensive pure breed RIR and they are also mean get a salmon faveroll rooster and 2 salmon faveroll hens or a brahama rooster.

Yes, RIRs are very aggressive. My mom loves them, I like them, but hate their behavior.

I've had several RIRs when growing up.

 

[Cecisflock]

Brahma, RIR, I'd say bantam as bantams are good protectors, but he may not be able to breed your hens. Good luck! Predators are sneaky here in MO so be on your look out. I've lost quite a few of my girls and some boys to the sneaky varmints. Raccoons, possums, skunks, and owls. Sometimes Bald Eagles and hawks. Good Luck!

x2 on the brahma!

 

[Folly's place]

Rooster behavior is an individual thing, but there are breeds that tend to have a higher % of birds who are not human aggressive. Salmon Favorelles tend to be very nice, for example. (The hens are also very sweet, and might be too nice to live with typical production red hens.)
RIRs tend to be pushy, and the roosters, obnoxious. Brahmas are often nice, and really, raising some chicks late this year or next spring might give you a better chance to get cockerels to choose from. Having adults helps to make growing cockerels more humble, and you will all have more experience with your birds .
Mary

 

[Retired Tom]

x2 that breed often won't dictate personality, especially with all the hatchery strains out there. If you do give a potentially doomed Craigslist rooster a good home, which is a nice way to go, be sure to quarantine for 2-4 weeks to try to avoid introducing any diseases to the flock. There are probably many good posts on BYC about the best ways to do that.

I love love love roosters. They're beautiful, quirky, and can help deter some predator situations, but here in the woods of rural TN, we don't free-range for the same reasons @Retired Tom mentions: too many predators. A rooster can only do so much. We built out a big chicken yard surrounded by 6' welded wire and electric instead.

That may be where we wind up. My son and I just discussed trenching / running electric to coop. We'll try free range first. We have lots of ticks for them to enjoy.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

That may be where we wind up. My son and I just discussed trenching / running electric to coop. We'll try free range first. We have lots of ticks for them to enjoy.

Mmmm, ticks

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

We live in rural MO wooded area (LOTS of wildlife) and grandaughter (10) who spends weekends with us wanted chickens. She chose 1- Silver Laced Wyandotte / 2-Black Sex Linked / 2- Production Red / 2- Barred Plymouth Rock pullet chicks. We're upgrading the old chicken house and building a secure run, but hope to be able to allow them to free range some days. Chicks are 2 weeks old. I want to get a rooster chick to join them. I also intend to add a couple gineaus to the flock. What rooster breed would be best to assist in protecting the hens and still be safe with children?

I love my Maran rooster. He takes very good care of the flock and has saved them from predators twice. I also really love faverolles roosters. Most will do the trick though. Marans and faverolles I know to be nicer. But I have heard RIRs can be mean. Also buckeyes can be mean. But this is just what I've heard.

 

[Folly's place]

Our Marans cockerels were nice, and a friend has two Buckeye roosters who are fine too. Our white Chantecler roosters have all been good. Half of our Speckled Sussex cockerels were nice, and half were total jerks, from different hatcheries and different years. Love the SS hens though!
Game roosters need to be the only one, or physically separated from very young ages, because they will fight with each other. they tend to be good with humans, and some are really big! I would thing that cockerels fathered by a Malay, for example, would inherit that 'cock fighting' personality, so again, only one if the flock.
There are so very many choices!!!
Mary

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I would not recommend RIR specifically because you have kids in my experience is that they attack and are so mean. I even bought the show type expensive pure breed RIR and they are also mean get a salmon faveroll rooster and 2 salmon faveroll hens or a brahama rooster.

You must of had bad luck. When we had RIR roosters they were very sweet and nice.

 

[FolkSonginC]

liege fighters are supposed to be one of the best flock protectors and they can physically do the most damage to a predator, huge and large spurs, but also very friendly toward people. I've heard stories of liege fighters attacking hawks that came after hens. may be tricky getting your hands on one and unless you get a sexlinked breed I don't know how you could know to get a rooster chick for sure. You probably want to either hatch some eggs (fun project!) and keep a rooster or get an adult/juvenile rooster from someone

 

[Ivan lee]

Malays are good flock Protectors, & are like puppies to their owners. Very people friendly.

I didn't know your Malays were nice. From my experience, Malays would always kick the living hell out of me.