Which Rooster To Keep?

[SKS]

This spring we hatched out 9 chicks, 7 of which ended up being roos. The time has a come to process the roosters and I'm questioning which one to keep. Usually I pick the one that is most friendly and closest to breed standard but these are Easter Eggers so I'm not sure there are any "standards". My goal is to pick a breeding rooster that will throw the blue egg gene. If any one has any guidance on things I should be considering, please let me know. Some questions that come to mind is:
* do I pick an alpha or one of the more timid roos?
*is there a particular colouring combination that is better for breeding EEs?
*there is one rooster that seems bonded to a group of the younger girls. Is that a good sign?
*are their certain behaviours I should look for that indicates a better rooster?

Any suggestions are appreciated

 

[Boccom]

I like timid roos they usually end up less aggressive also eating out of your hand at a young age is generally a good sign about the rooster with the younger girls how younger are they if they are quite a bit younger then him then he most likely wont attack baby chicks if you ever get baby chicks again like my rooster I dont much about EEs yet since the easter eggers I have are still young

 

[Ridgerunner]

these are Easter Eggers so I'm not sure there are any "standards".

EE's are not a breed so no, there are no breed standards. We can't even all agree on what makes an EE. Why are you calling them EE's?

My goal is to pick a breeding rooster that will throw the blue egg gene.

This goes back to my other question, why are you calling them EE's. How do you know or why do you think any of them might have the blue egg gene? That might play into which one to keep, depending on your answer.

* do I pick an alpha or one of the more timid roos?

With my goals and how I keep them I pick an early maturing one. That is not necessarily the Alpha but is usually one near the top of the pecking order. Part of that is that I raise them to eat, so I want an early maturing one because they are typically ready to eat (bigger) earlier so I don't have to spend as much on feed. I want a rooster that has the self-confidence and personality to win the girls hearts by the strength of his personality, not purely by brute strength. I don't always get it right but I've had more luck with an earlier maturing one.

*is there a particular colouring combination that is better for breeding EEs?

Absolutely. What color combination do you personally like? That's the best color/pattern for you. I'm sure my personal preference is different, so that determines the best for me. But that doesn't mean anything to you, it's your preference that counts. Of course there can be exceptions, there always are, but black or white roosters tend to have mostly black or white chicks. The color of the hen seems to have more of an influee with a red or buff rooster.

*there is one rooster that seems bonded to a group of the younger girls. Is that a good sign?

Maybe. I don't now how you manage them, how much room they have, how old they are (Spring is kind of nebulous), or how they are behaving. When you have more than one they can influence each other's behaviors. Those might change when you process the others.

*are their certain behaviours I should look for that indicates a better rooster?

With more than one around they can influence each other's behaviors, especially with the girls. They are probably still adolescent's too. Immature cockerels have different behaviors than mature roosters, behaviors can change as they mature. It is a challenge when they are still immature but I also make those decisions fairly early.

If one is human aggressive he is gone. If one injures a pullet he is gone. I do not consider an immature cockerel forcefully mating an unwilling pullet as injuring her. To me that is just what immature cockerels hopped up on hormones do. But if blood is drawn or he looks like he is trying to injure her it is frowned upon. Severely.

My main suggestion is to decide what your goals and preferences are. Not mine or anyone else's, but yours. Then start eliminating those that obviously don't measure up. When that decision starts getting hard you may be OK with any of them. I once did that with 18 cockerels. The first 15 weren't all that hard, the last three were rough.

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes it is hard when you have so many. So cull from the bottom up. Behavior or physical deformities. Check beaks and toes, then need to be straight. Pick them up, feathers hide a lot of sins, feel the breast area, thin or scrawny they go. Anything you just don't like, let that one go.

So with 7, try and remove the bottom 4. That should leave you three, then I would wait a couple of weeks, as removing other roosters will change the behavior of the ones left behind. Then take the one you just like the best and cross your fingers.

Mrs K

 

[SKS]

these are Easter Eggers so I'm not sure there are any "standards".

EE's are not a breed so no, there are no breed standards. We can't even all agree on what makes an EE. Why are you calling them EE's?

My goal is to pick a breeding rooster that will throw the blue egg gene.

This goes back to my other question, why are you calling them EE's. How do you know or why do you think any of them might have the blue egg gene? That might play into which one to keep, depending on your answer.

* do I pick an alpha or one of the more timid roos?

With my goals and how I keep them I pick an early maturing one. That is not necessarily the Alpha but is usually one near the top of the pecking order. Part of that is that I raise them to eat, so I want an early maturing one because they are typically ready to eat (bigger) earlier so I don't have to spend as much on feed. I want a rooster that has the self-confidence and personality to win the girls hearts by the strength of his personality, not purely by brute strength. I don't always get it right but I've had more luck with an earlier maturing one.

*is there a particular colouring combination that is better for breeding EEs?

Absolutely. What color combination do you personally like? That's the best color/pattern for you. I'm sure my personal preference is different, so that determines the best for me. But that doesn't mean anything to you, it's your preference that counts. Of course there can be exceptions, there always are, but black or white roosters tend to have mostly black or white chicks. The color of the hen seems to have more of an influee with a red or buff rooster.

*there is one rooster that seems bonded to a group of the younger girls. Is that a good sign?

Maybe. I don't now how you manage them, how much room they have, how old they are (Spring is kind of nebulous), or how they are behaving. When you have more than one they can influence each other's behaviors. Those might change when you process the others.

*are their certain behaviours I should look for that indicates a better rooster?

With more than one around they can influence each other's behaviors, especially with the girls. They are probably still adolescent's too. Immature cockerels have different behaviors than mature roosters, behaviors can change as they mature. It is a challenge when they are still immature but I also make those decisions fairly early.

If one is human aggressive he is gone. If one injures a pullet he is gone. I do not consider an immature cockerel forcefully mating an unwilling pullet as injuring her. To me that is just what immature cockerels hopped up on hormones do. But if blood is drawn or he looks like he is trying to injure her it is frowned upon. Severely.

My main suggestion is to decide what your goals and preferences are. Not mine or anyone else's, but yours. Then start eliminating those that obviously don't measure up. When that decision starts getting hard you may be OK with any of them. I once did that with 18 cockerels. The first 15 weren't all that hard, the last three were rough.

what a thorough answer thank you! I've kind of narrowed down to two, given my experiences with them and the questions you pose.

 

[Folly's place]

I also like to eliminate from the bottom, and keep two or three of the ones I like the most to see how they develop. I'm in it right now, in fact. Tonight I will weigh the cockerels, and look each one over closely, so the best three (or two) will be singled out, and other plans for the rest. I'm also rehoming my two year old rooster of that breed, a very nice bird, but not great fertility, so the new cockerels will hopefully do better next spring.
Mary