When to thin/seperate roos from straight run

[polychickens]

My 15 straight run chicks are now about 9 weeks old. I figure I'll keep 3 roosters, and I have another flock of 15 pullets--4 weeks old.

At what point do I thin the herd of the excess roosters? How do I decide which breed of rooster to keep? I have RIR's, brown leghorns, and Plymouth barred rocks.

Also, what to do with the excess roosters? I figure I'll have 4-5 to get rid of. Do my numbers sound OK? I should end up with a total of 21-22 hens and 3 roosters all together.

Thanks!
Polychickens

 

[livestock101]

I think your numbers sound just fine. You can get rid of the excess roosters anytime your ready. We normally do it at around 16 weeks.

I like to be able to see how they are developing and if I'm keeping any, I want to keep the ones developing the best; good temperament, plumage color, etc. In the past, we've had A LOT of problems with RIR and Barred Rock roosters. They have both been very aggressive breeds, from my point of view. I have no experience with Brown Leghorn roosters, just the hens. If I were you, I'd keep 1 of each breed.

What to do with the excess roos? Put up an ad at your local feed store or in a local paper.