Which rooster should I keep (part 2)

[hippiechickadee]

I originally posted a post similar to this two weeks ago after realizing I had 2 roosters. I ended up keeping Steve and rehoming Phil.

Well here I am again, with ANOTHER surprise rooster.

My Barred Old English Bantam crowed today. I could have cried. Here we go again.

So, BYC friends, I'm asking again, which rooster should I keep? Steve (standard) or Flyer (Bantam)

If it helps, my flock consists of:

9-11 weeks old:

2 white silkies
2 buff brahma bantams
1 golden comet
1 red star
1 barred rock
1 ROOSTER barred old english bantam
1 ROOSTER sexlink

4 week old (separated)

2 Ameraucanas

here are the boys to chose from:

Steve



Flyer

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What is your purpose in keeping a rooster - are you looking for fertile eggs for hatching or? Knowing what you want the bird for will factor into which would best fit your needs.

 

[hippiechickadee]

Great question!

Until 2 weeks ago I never considered having roosters!

Protection number one, fertile eggs number two (and that is, just a FEW in spring if my hens get broody, but since I'm a small flock kind of chicken mom, not a lot)

 

[hippiechickadee]

What is your purpose in keeping a rooster - are you looking for fertile eggs for hatching or?  Knowing what you want the bird for will factor into which would best fit your needs.

Do you think it would be a problem to keep them both? Overly noisy? Too busy for the ladies? Etc.

I'm leaning towards keeping the bigger guy just because I'm attached to him but only if it's he right descison for te flock.

 

[fshinggrl]

Little guys can fertilize big hen's eggs. A bigger rooster would have an easier job. You could try to keep the two, but the ratio should be 12:1. If the hens are getting bare backs or if the roosters are fighting, you can decide then. When given the choice last year for me, we kept the big guy.

 

[hippiechickadee]

Little guys can fertilize big hen's eggs. A bigger rooster would have an easier job. You could try to keep the two, but the ratio should be 12:1. If the hens are getting bare backs or if the roosters are fighting, you can decide then. When given the choice last year for me, we kept the big guy.

I was leaning toward my big guy too (don't ask me why, I'm more attached to him then the little guy)

So the bigger guy won't hurt my smaller ladies?

I think I'll go ahead and post Flyer on craigslist. Wish me luck.

 

[ktn65]

So, I have to ask. How did you get two accidental sex-link roosters? I thought the idea behind sex-links were different color at hatching? Or do I have it totally wrong?

 

[hippiechickadee]

Haha I knew nothing about chickens and got them from an elementary school (after they were done hatching them) so I picked out the "pretty ones".

It wasn't until a month later that I learned their breed and read up on it.

To be fair, the lady at the school seemed to think they were all hens (I think she got her Iines crossed somewhere along the way)

 

[donrae]

So, I have to ask. How did you get two accidental sex-link roosters? I thought the idea behind sex-links were different color at hatching? Or do I have it totally wrong?

Even if they're really sex links, the buyer still needs to know what they're looking for. Hatcheries do a really good job on the sex links, but accidents still happen. In a setting like this, they may not have been sex links, and if they were the OP just didn't know what to look for. Lots of folks don't understand sex-link means the sex is linked to the gender. My advice is, when chosing chicks from a tub, never take the one that looks different. there's often a reason for that.....

 

[ktn65]

Haha I knew nothing about chickens and got them from an elementary school (after they were done hatching them) so I picked out the "pretty ones".

It wasn't until a month later that I learned their breed and read up on it.

To be fair, the lady at the school seemed to think they were all hens (I think she got her Iines crossed somewhere along the way)

Even if they're really sex links, the buyer still needs to know what they're looking for. Hatcheries do a really good job on the sex links, but accidents still happen. In a setting like this, they may not have been sex links, and if they were the OP just didn't know what to look for. Lots of folks don't understand sex-link means the sex is linked to the gender. My advice is, when chosing chicks from a tub, never take the one that looks different. there's often a reason for that.....

Yeah, after posting I got to thinking that this time last year, I would of walked in TSC and picked a "cute one" from the tub not knowing what I was doing.

And just from my point of view, I would keep the big one.