Best Rooster for My Flock?

[Mrs. K]

The big question that should be considered now, before you even get a rooster is: What is plan B if he does not work out?

• some are human aggressive
• some are chicken aggressive and abusive toward hens
• some will fight other cockerels.

These are very common outcomes, and I really don't believe that the way they are raised has much to do with it. They are NOT like puppies and kittens whereas if you are good to them, they will be good to you. In fact almost the complete opposite. It is the pets, the darlings that have no fear of you, that often become very violent.

So if you can cull a rooster or two or three... then go with chicks and raise them up. I culling a bird that you have raised by hand would be difficult for you, I think you would have better luck with a rooster that is so darn nice, he has gotten the Bye.

Cockerels and Roosters are just the luck of the draw. A crap shoot.

Mrs K

 

[valesmichelle]

The big question that should be considered now, before you even get a rooster is: What is plan B if he does not work out?

• some are human aggressive
• some are chicken aggressive and abusive toward hens
• some will fight other cockerels.

These are very common outcomes, and I really don't believe that the way they are raised has much to do with it. They are NOT like puppies and kittens whereas if you are good to them, they will be good to you. In fact almost the complete opposite. It is the pets, the darlings that have no fear of you, that often become very violent.

So if you can cull a rooster or two or three... then go with chicks and raise them up. I culling a bird that you have raised by hand would be difficult for you, I think you would have better luck with a rooster that is so darn nice, he has gotten the Bye.

Cockerels and Roosters are just the luck of the draw. A crap shoot.

Mrs K

Thank you, Mrs. K. I appreciate the concerns. It gives me a lot to think about. I appreciate your response.

 

[Acre4Me]

The MOST chill rooster may very well be a Salmon Faverolle.

Next, I think you may or may not have luck with any breed. But, Australorp is a good option.

The worst for us have been Marans, and Leghorn (loud and/aggressive).

In 2020 there was hardly a female chick to be found. So, we ordered 15 sexed males across 7 breeds. We decided this way we could find out next rooster. We selected a Black Langshan- he was big, beautiful, and not human aggressive at all -led his ladies around and was quite talkative (not crowing, but the other sounds they make) with the ladies.

Currently, we have a white Plymouth Rock that is big and beautiful , but human aggressive. He is kept in a large covered pen with 3 ladies. He will leave us this year (auction).

We have had several Black Jersey Giant roosters. Both had some mild aggression, surprisingly.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I like blue Isbars, they are not too big, and they have a blue/green egg gene. and Blue feathers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hello,
My flock consists of:

• Pure Rhode Island Reds
• Red Sex Links (Cross between RIR Rooster and Red Sex Link Hens)
• Red Rocks (Cross between RIR Rooster and Barred Rock Hens)
• Rhode Island Blue (Cross between RIR Rooster and Black Australorp)

so I would also like a Rooster that would make pretty babies with my babies.

Black is pretty dominant so black roosters tend to father black chicks. White is a crap shoot. Some white roosters pretty much father white chicks but some can father about any color or pattern. I'd avoid black and white roosters if you want a variety of colors. Red is relatively recessive so red allows the hen's color and pattern to have a lot of influence. Buff is also fairly recessive and allows the hens to have a lot of influence in what the chicks look like but it has a component that can make some interesting colors and patterns. With your girls my first choice would be a buff rooster though a red rooster could be a really good choice. I'd avoid a black or white rooster. Black trim like black tails or black around the neck are OK but avoid solid black.

My question -
I'm looking at getting a Rooster. I do NOT want a Rooster that is aggressive towards adults (we don't have kids), but I do want one that is protective against predators

I agree with many of the others. Regardless of breed, roosters are a crap shoot as far as behaviors go. If you read enough posts on here you can find a rooster of any breed that is great and another rooster of the same breed that was horrible. I wish there were a way to select but from what I've seen there isn't and get any kind of guarantee. That's one of the downsides of roosters, you have to be prepared for anything.

Good luck and welcome to the forum from Louisiana.

 

[valesmichelle]

Black is pretty dominant so black roosters tend to father black chicks. White is a crap shoot. Some white roosters pretty much father white chicks but some can father about any color or pattern. I'd avoid black and white roosters if you want a variety of colors. Red is relatively recessive so red allows the hen's color and pattern to have a lot of influence. Buff is also fairly recessive and allows the hens to have a lot of influence in what the chicks look like but it has a component that can make some interesting colors and patterns. With your girls my first choice would be a buff rooster though a red rooster could be a really good choice. I'd avoid a black or white rooster. Black trim like black tails or black around the neck are OK but avoid solid black.


I agree with many of the others. Regardless of breed, roosters are a crap shoot as far as behaviors go. If you read enough posts on here you can find a rooster of any breed that is great and another rooster of the same breed that was horrible. I wish there were a way to select but from what I've seen there isn't and get any kind of guarantee. That's one of the downsides of roosters, you have to be prepared for anything.

Good luck and welcome to the forum from Louisiana.

Thank you for the education. This is very helpful. What are your thoughts on a Barred Rock Rooster? I thought of a RIR, but most that I've seen and that friends have had are pretty much aggressive towards humans. I really don't want to have to cull a Rooster, but human aggressive Roosters have to go or be rehomed, if someone will take them. I don't mind a little aggressiveness, as that's their nature. I want them to protect and aggression is how they do it, but getting flogged every time we get around the hens or step into their run/coop is not going to work for us as our hens are pets. I would love for our Rooster to be a pet as well, but I understand that may not happen. As long as he'll fight off the overhead and small ground pray, without getting overly aggressive with humans, I can deal with that. But, of course, I also want to raise and sell baby chicks, so having a Rooster that will breed nicely with my flock to make pretty, and good egg laying barnyard chicks is a plus.

 

[valesmichelle]

I like blue Isbars, they are not too big, and they have a blue/green egg gene. and Blue feathers.
View attachment 3413640

Oh, he is very pretty! I will look up the Isbars. What breed of hens do you have?

 

[NatJ]

What are your thoughts on a Barred Rock Rooster?

For color, a Barred Rock rooster will produce lots of chicks that look like himself: black with white barring. That will be all of the chicks with some of your hens, and about half the chicks with your other hens.

With the blue hens, some of the chicks will be blue with white barring.

If the red sexlink hens are red with white tails, a Barred Rock rooster will produce some white chicks with them (genetically, they are black chicks, with the black turned white by the Dominant White gene from their mothers, and also with white barring that of course isn't obvious on a white chicken.)

I don't have any useful knowledge about temperament of Barred Rock roosters.

 

[Folly's place]

A buff Rock would be a better choice, and the MMcM birds I had years ago were really nice.
Temperament of roosters? No idea.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your thoughts on a Barred Rock Rooster?

Pretty much in line with NatJ except I don't think you have any actual Blue genetics in your flock. As he said in that other post a RIR rooster over an Australorp does not give you blue genetics. I don't think you'd see any blue chicks. Unless some of the sex links offspring have white tails I think you will get all chicks that are black with barring, looking a lot like the Barred Rock. As mixed as those chicks would be you will get some red leakage, which means random feathers could show up as red, but basically black with white barring. To me pretty boring.

Folly, I can't say the Buff Rocks I got from Ideal were exceptionally nice but the one I kept was not human aggressive. He made a good flock master and was beautiful. No complaints.

I can't give guarantees on the behaviors of any rooster by breed, Barred Rock or anything else.