Help me choose which rooster to keep.

[NorthernHomestead]

Keep the nice one. Also keep your eyes peeled for people looking to give away tame roos they can't keep if he doesn't quiet down. Lots of people look to give away roos.

 

[redinator]

Hello all. I'm currently trying to choose which rooster I should keep because I currently have 5 roos and only 9 hens. Of the roos I have 2 columbian wyandottes and 3 golden comets. My goals are to eventually breed my flock to one that is a good producer of large eggs that does well in foraging in chicken tractors in the summer and handles the coop in the winter, along with other goals to work towards later. I thought I had a the roo that would best help me towards my goals picked out but he has one big flaw that is making it hard to decide. The one I picked was was a golden comet that has the best temperament towards me and the hens, grew the fastest and forages well. The problem is he is the noisiest of all them by a long shot I can hear him now while sitting in the house 100 yards away from the coop. I know that if it bothers me it has to bother the neighbors who are actually closer to the coop than I am. The problems with the others are that they are very aggressive with the hens and the wyandottes lay very small eggs. So do you guys think that getting rid of the other roos might quiet him down or that getting rid of with some of the others will make them less aggressive? all opinions are welcome thank you for the help.

I'm just getting started . . . I have:

10 weeks old: 4 BYM, 2 pullets, 2 cockerels

3 weeks old: 2 BYM, genders unknown

2 weeks old: 17 RIR, genders unknown

I got the 2 & 3 week olds when I realized I had 2 pullets and 2 cockerels in my first batch

My rules for the roos I'll keep, if I keep any:

1 Must tolerate my presence, they don't have to love me, but they better mind their manners.

2 Never attack my dogs, they were here first and there are plenty of roos to choose from

Whichever roos make it past the first two rules move to round two:

1 Don't be a jerk to the girls, they're the reason you're here

2 Don't overexert your authority . . .there's discipline and there's just plan bullying . . I have no intention of keeping/breeding bullies

These last two seem like a no brainers, but I'll add them anyway . . .

3 If they are constantly trying to escape or kill themselves I'll oblige

4 They must be fertile . . .otherwise why have them?

After that it's up to the girls if they seem to have a preference. Who am I to argue wit their instincts?

 

[McChooky]

I count myself lucky because its easier to bring out the worst in a cockerel than the best.Only one of mine passed the test so I kept him.