Which rooster should i keep???

[aShMaNv]

I am somewhat new to raising chickens and am starting a laying flock. I mainly want eggs but also a hardy dual purpose breed so i got some hatching eggs from my uncle's flock. He has barred rocks, black australorps, and rhode island red hens and a big rhode island red rooster to cover them all. Well to make a long story short, i had 8 chicks hatch. Five hens and three roosters. Four of the hens are solid black and one is a straight-bred rhode island red. Then there are the roosters. One is a barred rock. It looks just like a straight-bred barred rock. I assume it is from one of the barred rock hens. THen there is a straight-bred rhode island rooster, and a black rooster with a tiny bit of red on his chest. The reason i am keeping one rooster is to hatch replacement chicks just for myself. So im not worried about crosses too much. Which rooster would be the best for me to keep? What would offspring look like if crossed?

 

[call ducks]

any one would be good, you just want eggs don't you? all of those breeds are good egg layers, the 'lorps more so, but they would average out to around the same amount of eggs

 

[dsqard]

Keep the nicest one!

 

[aShMaNv]

I have started to see each ones personality coming out

The black one is pretty flighty. The barred is somewhat flighty but can be friendly. He is also somewhat aggressive towards some of the other chicks. Then the rhode island is very sweet and friendly. If you pick him up he will just sit in your hand

I am just worried that might change when he is older, as rhode island red cocks are notoriously aggressive.
And yes, eggs are the main reason i am keeping this flock other than the enjoyment.

Most of the articles i have read say that rhode islands are better layers (lay more eggs and eggs are larger) that the rocks or lorps. Should this help dictate which roo i keep?

 

[pkw]

keep the rhode island red rooster

 

[jarcoo0153]

Quote:
x2

 

[pennie1]

pkw wrote:
keep the rhode island red rooster

X 3

I have always called my lorps the dumbest chickens (got rid of them). My RIR's are awesome. Just keep the rooster for a year, let his babies hatch out and then pick another one of his babies for the next years rooster if you see what I mean. That way you avoid the time when they get aggresive. I kept one for 2 yrs. and that was a mistake (but he was my best bud for the first yr), it was like the "Old Yeller" story. He got NASTY, but he was TASTY!!!! Every yr. I keep one of his sons.​

 

[muddyhorse]

if you keep the barred roo you will have sexlinked birds and be able to sex them at hatch. no need to waste feed on boys

 

[jarcoo0153]

Quote:
I'm not for sure but I thought that you had to use a solid colored male over a barred female?
This is what Ideal Poultry says on thier website:

Black Sex Links are a breed cross using Rhode Island Red males and Barred Plymouth Rock females. The male chicks have a white spot on the top of their heads and can be separated from the solid black female chicks when they hatch. This cross, which is used in commercial layer operations, is an efficient producer of large brown eggs. They have excellent livability, and hens from this cross weigh about 5 1/2 lbs. and can be salvaged for fowl meat when their use for laying is over.

Can it work the other way too?

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! Keep the one you think is prettiest (most handsome) and friendliest!

if you keep the barred roo you will have sexlinked birds and be able to sex them at hatch.

I don't think that applies if the barred boy is from RIR (male) x BR (female) mating.

Lisa​