Which rooster to keep??

[NatJ]

RIR have been, and may still be, used for cockfighting, so they have been bred to be pretty aggressive.

Where did you learn this? It has not been in any article I ever found about the history of Rhode Island Reds.

As a practical matter, any chicken breed produced by commercial hatcheries is going to be a very poor choice for cockfighting. The big hatcheries have many roosters in one pen with large numbers of hens. If they kill each other, there will not be enough roosters to mate with the hens, which means the hens will lay eggs that are not fertile, and then the hatchery cannot hatch enough chicks to sell. So it is very important for the hatchery to breed roosters that tolerate each other in the breeding flock.

I have had some before, and if I do get some again, it will be when I have my huge chicken area done so I don't have to be as close to them .\

Aggression toward people, and aggression toward other roosters, can be very different things.

Several posters on this site have stated, repeatedly, that birds bred for cockfighting will NOT be aggressive toward people, because ones that are aggressive toward people will be culled. The point of cockfighting is for them to fight each other, not fight people.

On the other hand, I also see plenty of anecdotes on this forum about roosters that attack people but get along well enough with other roosters. I've had a few of those myself.

 

[Mrs. K]

Do know, and tell your friend, that both of these boys may not turn out. IMO all cockerels are a crap shoot, and some can just be rotten. Sometimes when we give a bird, or get a bird from someone there is a guilty feeling if it does not work out.

Do know, that a lot of roosters, regardless how you raise them can be rotten and need culling.

Mrs K

 

[Almosta Farm]

I do want to hatch some of my own & my friend doesn’t really care one way or another about coloring of chicks or eggs. Thank you so much! This is very helpful! Chowder is very red but has a lot of pretty gray coloring that doesn’t appear in the photos, he may be a blue wheaten? I’m not sure? But he’s definitely a cool looking bird. He and the RIR are both still very friendly & will eat from my hands and things like that, but are definitely starting to act like teenagers. No aggression towards me as of yet. My older hens (14 of them) so far, pay neither of them any mind really, the transitioning was very smooth and I’m curious about the rooster’s role in the pecking order… all I know is the 2 little roos have definitely started to want to beat the crap out of each other

21 hens is a lot for 1 rooster if you want fertile eggs to hatch

 

[LaFleche]

21 hens is a lot for 1 rooster if you want fertile eggs to hatch

For a young and healthy rooster it should be no problem at all. Unless he is a Silkie.

 

[Brooks_]

IMO all cockerels are a crap shoot

^^^This.

 

[Love Donkeys]

Both roosters will be beautiful will be beautiful.
The Ameracana rooster will be more docile, in either coop/run living quarters, or free-range. If he has large ear muffs they might impair his vision when it comes to predators.
The Rhode Island Red will be very aggressive as he gets older no matter where he is kept. If there is children in the household I would definitely NOT keep a Rhode Island Red rooster!

 

[Galaxy_rules]

I would personally go with the Ameracauna! I think they are more unique and eye catching!

I have had Rhode Island Reds before, not a rooster, but when they matured they were pretty flighty and would not cooperate when getting into the coop.

X2

 

[LuciferRoo]

They found out that we eat chicken so they tried some human!

Rhode Islands can be monsters

Human, the other white meat.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Human, the other white meat.

 

[Dgn123]

This is my 2nd year keeping chickens & last year we only raised hens (purchased through Murray & McMurray) but this year I bought 2 sets of chicks from TSC. The 1st set is 4 months old, and the 2nd is 3. I have roosters from both sets, even though labels read “pullets” and workers assured… I know, I know… there was a chance and I now have a (Red Wheaten?) Ameraucana & a Rhode Island Red Roo. We’re actually not mad about receiving a rooster because we feel like our flock could benefit from one and have no restrictions on our property. However, we do only want one. Both are crowing, so I’m sure lol. Chowder is our Ameraucana & “Ruby” Roundhouse (maybe his name should be Rudy?) is our Rhode Island. Both have been hand raised by me, are friendly, integrated, and we hate to see one go, but they have started to throw hands… and I have a very dear friend who has a small flock of 6 hens whose roo (8 year old!) just died about 2 months ago.. so she’s asked me for my extra and I know she would take great care of which ever one I gave her. My trouble is.. which do I choose? We love them both. My flock is comprised of 21 hens: Blue Cochins, Bielefelders, Buff Orpingtons, Ameraucanas, Barred Rocks, Brahma, Polish, and Delaware. My friends’ flock has Sapphire Gem & Wyandottes. I have attached photos of them now (very sunny here today, pardon the yellowness ) and photos from Google of what they may possibly look like when they’re grown as well. Thank you in advance! Short poll also, as I would like to take her the roo this weekend.

I have 4 RIRs one is a roo ! So far they've been good and go right into the run and at night go into the coop ! My first time with a RIR roo ! So far so good ! I'd go with the Ameraucana!