Favorite Breed of Rooster?

[hollandhens24]

Its always hard because my male chicks are frequently the friendliest and I just want to cuddle them.

I am running into this right now because my 5 week old roo is the easiest by far for my friend's toddler to catch and carry around and he just goes along for the ride... he is supposed to be the replacement for my current roo so hopefully this issue does not persist in the next generation!

 

[MGG]

I am running into this right now because my 5 week old roo is the easiest by far for my friend's toddler to catch and carry around and he just goes along for the ride... he is supposed to be the replacement for my current roo so hopefully this issue does not persist in the next generation!

My new Hampshire cockerel is currently the sweetest of my whole batch by far. I'm not following my own rules very well... Lol

 

[fluffycrow]

If I was called to answer this question six months ago, I think my answer would have been very different. Today, it’s this. You’re not going to find your perfect rooster by looking at breeds.

Seeing as you free range, your priorities are quite different from one that keeps their chickens in a coop 24/7. Your birds forage in (what I’m assuming is) a much larger area than a standard run, much more diverse in both flora and fauna, including predators. Any male’s top priority should be his hens, which might or might not let him further his genes. Securing a territory, food and nest sites for his hens, and looking out for potential predator attacks(*).

The best rooster for a free range setting is the one that your hens pick to lead and breed with. Most of the times they have better judgement than us. What is best for your needs and most importantly, your hen’s needs might not be what’s easiest for a human to deal with. I won’t be the one to tell you what you can/should and can’t/shouldn’t handle.

This is an excellent article to help you better understand roosters and cockerels, especially when working in a free range environment.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/





*Going after predators is not the smartest choice; those interactions often lead to the death of the rooster, who leaves behind a very exposed group of hens.

 

[hollandhens24]

My new Hampshire cockerel is currently the sweetest of my whole batch by far. I'm not following my own rules very well... LolView attachment 4094908View attachment 4094909View attachment 4094910

He is so cute!

 

[hollandhens24]

If I was called to answer this question six months ago, I think my answer would have been very different. Today, it’s this. You’re not going to find your perfect rooster by looking at breeds.

Seeing as you free range, your priorities are quite different from one that keeps their chickens in a coop 24/7. Your birds forage in (what I’m assuming is) a much larger area than a standard run, much more diverse in both flora and fauna, including predators. Any male’s top priority should be his hens, which might or might not let him further his genes. Securing a territory, food and nest sites for his hens, and looking out for potential predator attacks(*).

The best rooster for a free range setting is the one that your hens pick to lead and breed with. Most of the times they have better judgement than us. What is best for your needs and most importantly, your hen’s needs might not be what’s easiest for a human to deal with. I won’t be the one to tell you what you can/should and can’t/shouldn’t handle.

This is an excellent article to help you better understand roosters and cockerels, especially when working in a free range environment.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/





*Going after predators is not the smartest choice; those interactions often lead to the death of the rooster, who leaves behind a very exposed group of hens.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Amer]

My bantam Brahma was the best rooster I've ever owned. He was a gentleman to the ladies but he enforced his place firmly yet gently and even the large fowl roosters acknowledged him as top rooster. He'd never dream of attacking us. I'm afraid he was something special and probably no other would be like him. But there it is. (Also, his hens never laid any eggs... so ended my Brahma breeding attempt. XD)

 

[Amer]

He was in a free range setting. I don't know if he was the most free rangey bird you could own but he was well behaved.
Bantam Buckeyes are also hard to get your hands on but I've had a lot of them and they are consistently polite to people and hens and good, diligent foragers.
There's another breed that can hold its own.