Which rooster to keep?

[jossanne]

It looks like I have 6 roosters out of my 30 4-8 week old birds. I have a silver-laced polish, a buff-laced polish, a GLW, a SSH, an EE and a RIR. I know it's pretty early to be sure, but that's my guess right now. The GLW and SSH I'm positive are cockerels, the polish I'm almost positive, and the others are looking more and more like it every day.

I want to keep the silver-laced polish, because I have two pullets to go with him, and it might be fun to hatch a few one of these days. I'm thinking I'll sell the buff-laced polish at the county fair late next month.

So of the other 4 possible cockerels, I only want to keep 1, possibly two. I'm really leaning towards the GLW, but the hamburg will be SO pretty. I've got 4 SSH pullets to go with the hamburg roo if I decide to keep him. I also have an EE pullet to go with the EE roo if I decide to keep him. I've had an EE and he was gentle and beautiful, and I've never had a RIR before. I've got 4 RIR pullets to go with that cockerel. So I'd have a pair of each breed except the wyandotte.

Out of a production RIR, a gold-laced wyandotte, a silver-spangled hamburg, or an easter egger roo... which generally has the best, gentlest personality, and which would you keep? Opinions and experience anyone?

 

[jkcove08]

Are you wanting to have fertile eggs? If so you will want to keep more then 2 roos, Expecially if you want to separate the silvers out for pures.... To have good fertility you will want to have about a 1 to 5 ratio of roos to hens. 1 to 8 will work but you will have more missed hens. Otherwise I would get rid of the RIR and keep the rest. Jenn

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I choose for character and for egg color so I would choose an ee if he had the kind of traits that I like in a roo.

 

[jossanne]

I'm not immediately wanting fertile eggs, as our henhouse will be full with the ones we've got. But I want the possibility of fertile eggs in the future, and it would be fun to separate out pairs and hatch out something besides mutts.

Otherwise, no, fertility is not a must. Character is probably most important as we have children and the birds will eventually be loose on our property during the days, but I like pretty too...

And Jenn, why would you specifically get rid of the RIR?

 

[jkcove08]

I have a couple RIRs that are not as friendly as the rest and I have one RIR/EE cross roo that attacked my hubby last night. He will be in the cook pot real soon. I have had real bad luck with red colored roos attacking my family..lol I have a blue NN and a black and white EE and some other black roos and never had a problem. I had to get rid of a couple other red EE roos when they used to attack my kids too. I have day care kids that I cant take a chance of them getting hurt. Jenn

 

[ajablu]

I would be careful of the RIR roo unless you got him from parents with known good dispositions. I grew up with RIRs and they were great birds. The roos were gentle and would allow us to pick them up and hold them. Not long ago I started my own flock because I missed the chickens I grew up with. I bought some RIRs from the feed store , who got them from a hatchery. The RIR roos were very aggressive and mean, attacking all of us. They had been handled and hand fed from the time we got them as day olds, but it didnt make a difference. The one got my 13 year old daughter pretty bad so my husband gave them to a friend who probably had them for dinner.
I felt really bad but they were not safe to be around . I am thinking it may be that hatcheries don't select for good dispositions so maybe that is why some of the breed is very mean now. My other roos are gentle and non aggressive . I am no expert , just wanted to share my experience with RIRs. They had been a favorite of mine until our recent experience.
Michele

 

[jossanne]

Quote:
The only mean rooster I've had was a black minorca, and he started attacking us at about 7 or 8 months old. We had to dispatch him to rooster heaven. But we haven't had any red ones. Our others were an EE and EE/australorp crosses.

 

[jossanne]

Thanks ajablu & jkove. The RIR's are still almost 4 weeks old, so I'm not positive I have a cockerel, but I've got one with a much more masculine face and its comb is turning pink already. So I'm guessing... planning for the worst (roo) and hoping for the best!

 

[Mahonri]

I'd keep the GLW.

 

[chickenfanatic]

hey there girl hows in going in the big city of cliff? ur gonna have a hard toime thats a fine mix of birds to choose from there i personally as all know love easter eggers so thatd be one of my choices. hope u dont strain on the decision to much let us know what u decide.