Which Rooster should I ax?

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

The cockerels that your girls love, are likely the best choice to keep. The hens KNOW which cockerel will have THEIR best interest at heart, and they'll show their 'man' respect and affection.

This response may be helping me with a sure-to-come scenario in coming weeks. I purchased 10 straight run and soon would be wondering how to decide which gets to go to freezer camp. I think THIS is the answer. At very least may be a large consideration for cull selection.

Thanks, @Ebony Rose.

 

[Petukh]

Thanks everyone for your responses, has been a while.

So one of my hens finally went broody, eggs are expected to hatch next, so I’m sure both roosters have sired some of the chicks, so today I had the Americana culled. The other one is slowly learning his place and doesn’t attack as much as he used, so long as you keep eye contact, but will probably cull him to once the chicks hatch a get a bit older. I’m hoping that cockers raised by their mother will be better behaved.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Thanks for the update @Petukh

 

[Petukh]

Another update, so the rooster (the Spanish one) has become a lot more chill, and he doesn’t attack me anymore and usually runs to the opposite end of the run when I enter, but I still feel uncomfortable around him, since he still shows signs of aggression towards me when I approach the run. So might cull him later, but for now he does a good job of keeping the hens safe from hawks. I saw once a hawk attack (while free ranging), there was a huge commotion and by the time got there the hawk flew away but all the hens were safe and hid in the thickets but the rooster was still there strutting around, no sure exactly what happened but I suppose he chased the hawk away? He is very brave, but also a bit dumb, no self awareness of how weak he is, but because of that he is relentless.

My hen managed to hatch 3 chicks. I made the mistake of not checking on her nest after I put a clutch of 7 eggs under her, and over the time other hens laid in her nest and by the end was sitting on 24 eggs in the end, so most of them were too cold and didn’t fully develop and were at different stages I then bought 4 other chicks for her to adopt, but she only accepted 2 of them, and the other two I gave them to someone else who was raising a clutch.

So they are now completely feathered out, two of the chicks were the offspring of the Ameraucana rooster, one of which is also a rooster, no idea who the moms are, but the third one is definitely a barred rock (when she hatched she had the distinct black body with white spot on the head) mixed with the Spanish rooster, and she is now completely black like a raven, with a white throat and white wing tips, and I know she is from the Spanish rooster because she has the same leg proportions with the same gait, it’s very distinct, some what like a road runner, very smooth when they run, I think it’s due to them having narrower hips? I hope she doesn’t end up having issues with being egg bound if that is the case?

 

[Petukh]

Oh, and all my hens have recovered and they no longer have bald spots on their backs.