Which two roosters look the most promising?

[Cheekychook12]

It's not a bantam thing. It is not a breed thing. Some people keep roosters of all sizes and breeds with a ratio of 2 or 3 hens per rooster and don't have any issues with barebacked hens, over-mating or anything else. Others may have a ratio of 1 to 20 and still have issues. Each individual chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. We keep them in different types of facilities with different chicken density ratios and use different management techniques. My typical laying/breeding flock consists of one rooster and six to eight hens. My hens are not over-mated or barebacked.

The 1 to 10 ratio you often see on this forum is a myth. It is supposed to stop roosters fighting and hens from being over-mated or going barebacked. It does n ot work. It comes from the ratios the hatcheries use. It's not a bad average for what they hatcheries use but it is not correct for many of their flocks.

The hatchery goals are fertile eggs. They want 100% of their eggs to be fertile. They typically keep their flocks in pens of several roosters and several hens. Think in terms of 20 roosters in a large pen with 200 hens. They monitor fertility. If some eggs are not fertile they add another rooster, a young one as they are more sexually active than older ones. If the fertility rate is perfect they may try removing a rooster to cut down on costs. Several years ago Cackle Hatchery posted the ratios they use. It varied from 1 to 7 to over 1 to 15. In general, bantams were more likely to be closer to 1 to 15 and larger breeds closer to 1 to 7 but the results were all over the place.

I'll tell a story. When I started my flock I was down to 1 rooster and 8 hens. Technically cockerel and pullets as they were about 8 months old. Two of the hens became seriously barebacked so I ate them. I was down to a 1 to 6 ratio. No further problems with barebacked hens or with their daughters going barebacked. Sometimes the rooster is the problem but sometimes it can be the hen. (it can be genetic.) Reality is not always as simple as these magic ratios would make you think.

Different things can happen if you keep two males. As they mature they will decide which one is the boss. That could involve a fight to the death. They may reach an accommodation on how to take care of the flock together. Often this involves some fighting, maybe serious, maybe not so much. The more room you have the better.

My general suggestion is to keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals. Additional males do not guarantee problems but the more you keep the more likely you are to have issues. The more room you have the better. With your goal of a multicolored flock two seems reasonable. I suggest you have a way to immediately separate them if it becomes necessary. It may not become necessary but if it does you will probably need it immediately.

Most of us learn things as we go along and have to change things to suit reality. That is true with anything we do, not just chicken keeping. You have started on an interesting journey. Try to have fun and stay flexible. Good luck!

Thank you so much for your advice, I do have a way to easily seperate them if necessary, I will try things out and see how it goes, I can always rehome one to the family friend and possibly bring it back for a couple of weeks for breeding if I wanted to

 

[Cheekychook12]

They are so cute! I love Chonky and Cornflake just based on the pics. Chonky has really cool coloring.

Mr Chonky is the family favourite, he’s shockingly good with little kids, allowing them to pick him up and hold him for a while without complaint

 

[Mrs. K]

How little of kids? KEEP a very close eye on him with children under 6 years of age.

Remember, how they act today is not an indication how they will act next week. Do NOT TRUST any rooster or cockerel with children under the age of 6. A rooster can fly up and attack them about the head and face. Even knock them down.

Cockerels tend to attack children first, then women, then men. Inexperienced people tend not to pick up on the cues that a rooster is getting aggressive and this forum is full of posts where the darling boy became the nightmare in an instant. That probably isn't true, but people did not understand the cues.

Again, there is nothing as darling as a cockerel chick at the age of your birds. Know this does not last. This will not be indicative of future behavior

 

[Cheekychook12]

How little of kids? KEEP a very close eye on him with children under 6 years of age.

Remember, how they act today is not an indication how they will act next week. Do NOT TRUST any rooster or cockerel with children under the age of 6. A rooster can fly up and attack them about the head and face. Even knock them down.

Cockerels tend to attack children first, then women, then men. Inexperienced people tend not to pick up on the cues that a rooster is getting aggressive and this forum is full of posts where the darling boy became the nightmare in an instant. That probably isn't true, but people did not understand the cues.

Again, there is nothing as darling as a cockerel chick at the age of your birds. Know this does not last. This will not be indicative of future behavior

I know it won’t last, and the kid doesn’t live here or visit more than once a year, otherwise the youngest kid who visits here frequently is well into teens
What are the cues that a roo is getting aggressive?

 

[Cheekychook12]

When will they start acting aggressive of they are going to? Around 20 weeks? Earlier or later?

 

[Sic]

They are still very young and without seeing them in person and putting hands on, I'd say keep the top two, they have the best form, and lacking any obvious faults. The third one doesn't have good body form or feather. The last one I can't tell from the photo, but he's your least favorite anyway and black which would dominate the color in offspring.

 

[Cheekychook12]

They are still very young and without seeing them in person and putting hands on, I'd say keep the top two, they have the best form, and lacking any obvious faults. The third one doesn't have good body form or feather. The last one I can't tell from the photo, but he's your least favorite anyway and black which would dominate the color in offspring.

I agree with you although I’m not as good at telling what shape is good
I think it’s very likely I’ll keep the top two unless they turn aggressive
Here’s a better photo of the body shape of the last one
And also a few of the pullets, what do you think of their shape?

 

[Sic]

This might help you when evaluating

THE MALE
Carriage: Bold, rather forward but low, the head not much higher than the tail. Ideal type: like a round "featherball".
Body: Short and broad.
Breast: deep and full. Back: increasing in breadth to the saddle, which should be very full, rise well from between the shoulders, and be furnished with long soft feathers. Small short wings tightly tucked, the ends hidden by the saddle hackle. Very short full tail, soft and without hard quill feathers, abundant coverts almost hiding the main feathers, the whole tail forming one unbroken curve with the back and saddle.
Head: Skull: small and fine. Beak: rather short but stout, slightly curved. Eyes: large, bright. Comb: single, small, firm, perfectly straight and erect, well separated, curved from front to back. Face: smooth and fine. Ear-lobes smooth and fine, nearly as long as the wattles. Wattles: long, ample and smooth, neatly rounded.
Neck: Short, carried rather forward, with abundant and long hackle reaching well on the back.
Legs: Short and well apart, stout thighs hidden by the fluff that grows between the saddle and the thighs. Hocks completely covered with soft feathers curling around the joint and standing well out. (Note: Stiff feathers, "vulture hocks" are objectionable, but not a disqualification.) Short thick shanks abundantly covered with soft outstanding feathers. Toes (four) strong and straight, the middle and the outer plentifully covered with soft feathers to their ends.
Plumage: Very abundant, long and quite soft with full fluff.
THE FEMALE
With the exception of the back (rising into a full and round cushion) the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Pekin hens are exceptional good mothers.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Twisted or drooping comb; legs other than yellow except where allowed; bare middle and/or outer toe; missing toe or toes; missing toenail or nails; split wings.
COLOUR
In all colours the following apply:
Comb, face, wattles
and ear-lobes: Bright red.
Legs and feet: Yellow (except where specifically stated as different, but, in all cases soles of feet MUST BE YELLOW

 

[Cheekychook12]

This might help you when evaluating

THE MALE
Carriage: Bold, rather forward but low, the head not much higher than the tail. Ideal type: like a round "featherball".
Body: Short and broad.
Breast: deep and full. Back: increasing in breadth to the saddle, which should be very full, rise well from between the shoulders, and be furnished with long soft feathers. Small short wings tightly tucked, the ends hidden by the saddle hackle. Very short full tail, soft and without hard quill feathers, abundant coverts almost hiding the main feathers, the whole tail forming one unbroken curve with the back and saddle.
Head: Skull: small and fine. Beak: rather short but stout, slightly curved. Eyes: large, bright. Comb: single, small, firm, perfectly straight and erect, well separated, curved from front to back. Face: smooth and fine. Ear-lobes smooth and fine, nearly as long as the wattles. Wattles: long, ample and smooth, neatly rounded.
Neck: Short, carried rather forward, with abundant and long hackle reaching well on the back.
Legs: Short and well apart, stout thighs hidden by the fluff that grows between the saddle and the thighs. Hocks completely covered with soft feathers curling around the joint and standing well out. (Note: Stiff feathers, "vulture hocks" are objectionable, but not a disqualification.) Short thick shanks abundantly covered with soft outstanding feathers. Toes (four) strong and straight, the middle and the outer plentifully covered with soft feathers to their ends.
Plumage: Very abundant, long and quite soft with full fluff.
THE FEMALE
With the exception of the back (rising into a full and round cushion) the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Pekin hens are exceptional good mothers.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Twisted or drooping comb; legs other than yellow except where allowed; bare middle and/or outer toe; missing toe or toes; missing toenail or nails; split wings.
COLOUR
In all colours the following apply:
Comb, face, wattles
and ear-lobes: Bright red.
Legs and feet: Yellow (except where specifically stated as different, but, in all cases soles of feet MUST BE YELLOW

Thank you that’s helpful and very detailed
I noticed my older rooster who I won’t be breeding with the deformed feathers has white earlobes

 

[Mrs. K]

As to cues - the big one is don't make excuses for behavior, such as: "I startled him, I am wearing the wrong shoes, I picked up a hen..."

Cues as to aggression:

• Jumping up on something when I come into the run, making himself taller
• Fluffing his feathers, flapping his wings at me
• excessive crowing when I come into the run
• the stink eye - he glares at you
• sneaking around to the back of you, a lot of them will attack from behind. If you catch him, he will suddenly act innocent
• approaching you if you bend over or down, or have something in your hands
• flying up at you or bumping a bucket I was carrying

Good signs:

• casually moving away from you - about 5-6 feet away from you
• often times he will be between me and the hens - it is a quiet maneuver, not hysterical, not panicked.
• He has his head up and is the first to see me,
• He keeps the hens together
• he does the wing dance for chickens - not me
• he goes with a hen to lay, offers nests to her (I have only had one that did this)
• He likes chicks
• He breeds gently, with out feather displacement

Now, I have had 3 good roosters, one of which I would have called a flock master, Bye had all of the good traits. I still miss him. I have had a lot of so so roosters, some I kept, some I didn't.

Mrs. Feathers raised up Bye, so I have high hopes for Sargent who she hatched out last summer. Today, I am not sure if he was giving me the stink eye. We will see. One never gets to keep a perfect flock, it seems like you need to adjust it one way or the other as the year goes by.

Mrs K