4LuvOfChxs
Songster
Hi, Chickens105~I am thinking of adding a new rooster breed to my flock with my order of baby chicks this year.
Right now I have 3 roosters and 85 hens. They are going to need a little bit of help trying to keep track of the girls and keeping them safe from predators. I find that roosters are important here in my chicken flock because, well for 2 reasons...
1. I have a lot of predators around. Raccoons, coyotes, hawks, and bobcats are huge problems here. My chicken coops are a hop, skip, and a jump from a huge corn field that is about a mile long and predators are just waiting for them to go back there and they get one of my chickens. My Barred Rock rooster Hunter died trying to save Henrietta out there! Poor guy was just trying to do his job!!
2. I love hatching eggs and having baby chicks that are my hens babies - they are sooo cute! And you never know what is going to pop out of that egg!
I am asking 3 things out of a rooster breed - good looks, get protector, and of course non - aggressive. Who wants one of those, right!!??
My excesting roosters are:
Jack - Black Australorp x Rhode Island Red cross
Buddy - Rhode Island Red - Jack's father
Diego - Silver Laced Wyandotte
I would want a new breed!
Any suggestions and advice would be appreciated!
Thank you so much!!
I have 3 breeds of purebred roosters and I absolutely LOVE them all, BUT, my Bielefelder Boys are along the lines of what you've described. They're BIG boys, very docile with me, my hubby AND my grandkids, but protective of their girls. They're beautiful birds. They add color, depth, size and beauty to any flock. I've only had one Biela roo who had an edge, but he never used his edge on the humans on our property- he threw it at the other roosters when our flocks were out free-ranging together.
I also have Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners. They're also HUGE birds and VERY docile! They are my "lap birds." The fellas are very quiet, docile, very beautiful and the most low key roosters on the property. They're always the low guys on the totem pole- they choose to be subservient to the other roosters. They'll posture, but they rarely ever fight. They're just big, sweet giants. They're even quiet amongst the hens- very little fanfare with the Niederrs.
My last bunch of boys are my French Black Copper Marans. They are at the top of the rooster food chain here and run the show. The jungle birds used to create the breed come out in their demeanor. Though my BCM's have never offered to give me a hard time, they often challenge my husband. It's like they know who the alpha male is on the property and they have to challenge him, but they are EXCELLENT flock protectors!
I've had one Brahma Roo (mixed flock roo) who was the GREATEST free-range flock rooster of all-time! He was excellent with flock protection as well as being trustworthy in the midst of our human family. He was a mixed breed, Buff Brahma mixed with a Vorwerk, but he was the best roo we've ever had. He sacrificed himself one day to a predator to save his girls. We miss him bunches!!!
I'll include a few pics of the boys. I hope this info has helped you!