Which Rooster to Keep? Red Sex Link or Rhode Island Red

[JoshFig]

I have a mixed flock of 9 hens. Combination of Dominques, RIR's, Buff Brahma, White Leghorn, a few others. I free range quite a bit so the main job of the rooster is to protect the hens. I'd also like a rooster that can produce(spawn) decent chicks for egg laying.

I have two roosters - a red sex link and a RIR. Any suggestions on the best one to keep? The Red Sex Link is dominate. I have heard that the Sex Link will have a better disposition than the RIR, but I have also heard that Sex Links do not product good offspring.

Any experience with either the Red Sex Link or RIR for your rooster? Any suggestions on the best Roo to have in the henhouse?

Age wise - the Sex Link is ~5 months old and has been with the flock since we had it. The Rhode Island Red is ~6/7 months old and was just introduced a few days ago. The hens are mostly from this spring with two being from last spring.

 

[henless]

Are your cockerels getting along with each other? If so, keep them both for a bit and see which one has the best attitude. See which one gets along better with the hens and with you & your family. If both are good, then pick the one you like the best.

I have 2 English Orp cockerels that I'm debating on. They are in with my older hens, learning some manners. Once my Orp pullets are old enough, I will be putting one of the cockerels in with them. Which one depends on how they act.

 

[lazy gardener]

I agree with Henless that attitude is a huge part of the equation. Genetically, if the RIR has good form, is good with the ladies, and is not at all people aggressive, I think I'd lean towards keeping him. He'll make Black Sex Links with your Doms. That being said, I've never met a RIR roo that wasn't a nasty tempered fellow. So, if he displays any of that attitude, I'd not let him play in the gene pool. Josh, I don't know why any one would tell you that a Sex linked bird would not produce good offspring. When someone makes that statement, the first question I'd ask is, "Why?" Usually the person will start out with... "Well, that's just what I've heard." Or they'll talk about how sex links are bred for short productive lives and then they burn out and are no good for laying... or have reproductive issues. While that may be true for commercially bred sex links, what is often not realized is that "sex-link" is reference to how the feather pattern is passed from Father to Daughter, while Sons inherit the Mother's feathering. It only works with specific crosses. Your sex link roo will likely pass on some of the excellent laying genetics that he inherited. Either roo will most likely result in producing hybrid vigor in your flock, so that any chicks you hatch from your own flock will be stronger than hatchery stock. Enjoy! Making these decisions is what animal husbandry is all about! Fun stuff!!!

 

[JoshFig]

Great suggestions on waiting and watching. The Red Sex Link is still young but seems very well behaved. The RIR was beat down so completely by the Sex Link, that I'm not sure I have a good idea of how he will behave when he is the dominate bird in the flock. I expect the behavior will be quite different when he is 'in charge'.

I appreciate the challenge on the Red Sex Links quality of offspring. I have read in a few places that they don't produce good chicks, but your comment makes a lot of sense.

It sounds like the best course of action will be to watch the flock for a few more weeks and keep the best rooster of the pair, probably leaning toward the Sex Link all else being equal (given the concern of a very different RIR rooster when another dominate Roo is not around).

Thanks for the advice.

 

[lazy gardener]

How does the RIR act when the other roo is not around? Ideally, you should remove each roo for up to a week to see how the other behaves with the flock when he doesn't have any competition. You may see an entirely different set of behaviors. Ultimately, keep which ever roo you like best. Why did you get the RIR?

 

[JoshFig]

Good suggestion on removing one of the roos. Only concern would be re-establishing the pecking order each time. I'd also prefer not to keep a healthy bird alone in the quarantine hutch for an extended period of time. I'm leaning toward getting rid of the RIR as it sounds like they tend to have a nasty disposition. Biggest reason I considered keeping the RIR was better offspring, but it sounds like the sex link may be good was well. Either way - i'm going to give them another week or two and see how they behave.

On the RIR Roo - I though my Red Sex Link was a White Leghorn hen (flock of 10 hens) and wanted a rooster to protect the flock as we free range quite a bit. When we introduced the RIR the 'White Leghorn Hen' beat the stew out of him which got me suspicious (I looked over to my wife and commented that we just introduced our kids to cock fighting). From there I did my homework and realized I had a Red Sex Link Cockerel rather than a White Leghorn pullet. Since then his tail feathers are starting to curl out and he is starting to get some black feathers.

RIR is older and bigger but he really acts like he is at the bottom of the pecking order of the entire flock. I guess this is normal for the #2 rooster.

 

[DanEP]

Lazy gardener is right. I'd remove the sex link roo for a week or two and see how the rir acts. The girls might help teach him some manners too.some cockerals that grow up around older hens seem to have some of the cocky knocked out of them while still young. If he is a good roo you might consider keeping him.
Remember rir x dom's = sex links, rir x rir = good layers, rir x Brahma = ? rir x leghorn = won't be sex link but should lay great.

 

[Mrs. K]

Without a doubt, look at attitude. no use keeping something and being miserable.

However, you might consider culling both. The easiest way to improve your flock is to cover it with a good rooster. Are your birds just strictly eggs makers, rather thin and scrawny if you butcher them? Get a meatier rooster. Are there days when there are no eggs, well try a good egg laying breed.

I am not big into show, or pos ..... until it comes to looking at a rooster. Look carefully at his beak shape, how it closes. Check his legs from the side, from the back, look at his spur placement. Examine his head shape, width and length. Feel his breast, and his thighs, feathers can hide a lot. Check his weight. These are the genetics that will influence your flock for years to come.

The thing is, is often times you can get a very good to high quality rooster for not very much money, if any. Very good breeders get lots of roosters that are not quite perfect enough for them, but can certainly improve a backyard flock. And then there are the oh so nice boys, that escaped the hatchet just because they are nice.

Those are the roosters you want to add to your flock. This year I paid, (gasp!) for a rooster to place over riffraff hens. I got a nice Bielefelder rooster, hatched two sets of chicks in July. I am quite pleased with the feather patterning, these birds will blend into the prairies of SD. And I tell already, these are going to be a meatier bird. I am very pleased.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

If the RIR has only been around for a few days, dominance might change in time.
He was the new males so the existing male kicked his butt, table could turn.
I'd wait and watch for a month of more, bu have segregation ready in case it's needed, when/if things go bad they can go very bad, very fast!

Thinks the reason folks say sexlinks 'make bad chicks' might mean they will not breed true because they are a mix of 2-4 breeds and hard to say which genes will come thru.

 

[lazy gardener]

And, hatchery sex link is a whole other ball game compared to home raised sex link.