choosing Bared Rock rooster to breed

[Rose Quartz]

while I thought of BR being DP as a bonus in terms of culling excess roosters and older hens, based on recent butchering at ~25 weeks (great flavor, but not much meat at 3.5lb dressed skinless) I would not deliberately want to breed for bigger birds - egg laying it is. Does it mean I should select smaller roosters?

by wide leg stance you mean broiler-like (extra wide apart and parallel to each other) vs A-frame like?

Did you track which one grew the fastest? or matured the fastest because that would probably work more toward any offspring maturing quickly.

 

[CanadaEh]

Also, temperament; any showing human aggression, or too rough on the pullets?

The current alpha (#1) is generous with hens and why would not he being able to mate with them any time and having lower rank roosters to kick around. It is hard to say how other roosters would be in his position, but it would be sad to select one for all the good reasons culling all others and if that one would come up a mean bastard.

 

[123RedBeard]

The standard calls for ...

"Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front"

I would not say that they would be a bulging out like a Cornish cross broiler, but enough to support their body, but not skinny like a Leghorn either.

 

[123RedBeard]

#1 the largest/fattest one has crooked tows - not keeping him
#2&3 couple of other ones has yellow legs/feet (which I believe is the standard), but the feet are kind of small for the rooster sizes.
#4 the 4th rooster has normal size pale/pinkish legs/feet but is not a very big rooster
#5 the last rooster is big and slim and has monstrous size pale/pinkish feet, and also an odd dark feather on the neck.

I'd cull the pink boys #4 & #5, then maybe wait a week or three and see how the others adjust ... and grow ...

A Plymouth Rock is supposed to be a big bird ... 8 pound cockrell, and 9.5 pound cock ...

 

[Folly's place]

Hatchery PR's tend to be smaller, bred for egg production at the expense of meat qualities. The buff Rocks and white Rocks that I've had from the same hatcheries were larger birds, closer to the standard. I liked them better than the BR's.
Mary

 

[CanadaEh]

Left #2&3 for now. #2 has more yellow legs and more pronounced barring, but smaller and had his neck feathers pulled previously. #3 is bigger and currently the flock master. Will see for how long they will manage to stay in piece before the last selection will have to be made.

 

[CanadaEh]

after watching the remaining #2&3 roosters for a few days, the remaining #3 alpha rooster seems being to much pussy compared to the previous #1 alpha in the following examples:

1) not kicking bejesus out of the other rooster even allowing him to mate with hens sometimes - seen only chasing him once after one of his many mating attempts
2) hanging out on the same roost with hens without pecking them as "you are in my spot"
3) watching hens eating treats without touching them himself (as opposed to often pecking them away from the food)

Did I select the rooster that is least capable of protecting the flock based on that? Or could it be the reduction in rooster numbers (7->5->now 2) would make any rooster to "mellow"?

 

[Folly's place]

It takes more time for them to mature into who they are; patience!
Mary

 

[Rose Quartz]

after watching the remaining #2&3 roosters for a few days, the remaining #3 alpha rooster seems being to much pussy compared to the previous #1 alpha in the following examples:

1) not kicking bejesus out of the other rooster even allowing him to mate with hens sometimes - seen only chasing him once after one of his many mating attempts
2) hanging out on the same roost with hens without pecking them as "you are in my spot"
3) watching hens eating treats without touching them himself (as opposed to often pecking them away from the food)

Did I select the rooster that is least capable of protecting the flock based on that? Or could it be the reduction in rooster numbers (7->5->now 2) would make any rooster to "mellow"?

is he calling the girls to the food? he sounds like he's a good man for the girls less rough.

 

[CanadaEh]

is he calling the girls to the food? he sounds like he's a good man for the girls less rough.

nope, at least not yet, just watching them eating really close like if they were baby chicks and he was a mama hen short of scratching for them