choosing a breeding cockerel

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chickenfan

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I am wondering about my cockerels and how suitable they might be for breeding. Does anyone know:

- if I have a rather flighty, aloof cockerel, is this likely to pass on in his offspring? Does one select for character and friendliness as well as other traits?
- I have a rather 'bandy-legged' lemon sablepoot, which I'm sure I shouldn't breed from, but it doesn't affect him and he is otherwise lovely in every way. I guess this is likely to pass on?
 
There is a good little article about breeding by Tim here chickenfan http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/breeding-chickens

From your description I personally wouldn't breed from either them.
 
We select by nature first Chickenfan which isn't necessarily an easy matter at all, because they can change. Then for compliance with breed standard. We would never breed from a bird with physical defects, like crooked toes. In your case it depends whether the bandy-legs are due to a genetic problem or a dietary deficiency when a chick. You may need to cull the entire hatch if you experimented.
 
Thank you for the helpful link Dinosaw and thanks Chris. It is really horrible having to get rid of surplus cockerels. I think I will try to breed the bandy-legged sablepoot cockerel as he is so perfect in every other way and such a wonderful pet. If his offspring come out the same it will not be a problem. I only noticed as I have a another one which is different, but now I have looked at more images of sablepoots it seems common that some have legs further apart than others to accommodate the long feathers, so I think he is normal.

I have found it amazing that the chicks reared from my own Marans cockerel have been universally placid and friendly, as well as extremely vigorous and strong. They are all much friendlier than their father, although he has a placid nature. Do you find the nature of your cockerels is usually passed on Chris? I'm never quite sure whether aggressiveness is to do with hormones or character.
 
I have found that their nature does pass on Chickenfan. But with every hatch you do get natural variation, so some are more or less friendly. Of course handling and their environment are influences as well. Our pet utility strain Buff Orpington cock was crossed with show strain hens. The resulting cockerel was selected more for colour and shape, because they were all (except one) nice natured. Strange thing though, both father and son absolutely hate our TNN cock. They don't like other cockerels as you would expect, but both would kill Claude given any chance at all. The other breed cockerels are far more tolerant of him.
 
Hi Chris, that's interesting to hear about your birds. I thought buff Orpington's were such a mild-natured breed so I'm surprised they might kill your TNN.
 
Our pet Bottom's son Basil is a big strong chap with a huge chest -weighs well over 6Kg, perhaps 7Kg. The TNN's were in a run inside an enclosure formed by a 20 metre Omlet poultry net. This was to stop fighting between cockerels. One day I left the Omlet net gate open a fraction and Basil seized his chance. Claude, the TNN cockerel, was eating from the pot hanging off the weld mesh covered run door. Basil hopped through the net gate and threw himself chest out at the weld mesh. Result was Claude was bowled over and thrown right across his run and into the coop steps. The weld mesh has a 2" depression in it from the impact. So Orpingtons certainly aren't always placid Chickenfan.
 
Oh dear! I hope Basil is nice with you. I have a Faverolles cockerel chick who seems quite fiesty too and they are supposed to be very gentle.
 
When handled Basil is the most placid cockerel you could imagine. He, like his father, will fall asleep in your arms.
 
I have quite a large speckled sussex bantam and (about half the size of a standard bird rather than one-third the size). Is he likely to be too big for my bantam hens?
 
You shouldn't breed from a non-standard size anyway Chickenfan. As you realise I think, a large cockerel will cause far more damage to the smaller hens- they may even be leg or hip injuries. Personally I wouldn't risk it. A much larger cockerel I have heard can be OK because being less manoeuvrable he is unlikely to catch the hens or tread them successfully -problem is if he does!?!
 
Thanks Chris. Perhaps I can just put him with the hen for a couple of weeks in spring to get some fertile eggs - unless she is clearly not liking him.

I realise he is too big for breed standards, but I am not showing, and I like the fact he is a robust bird with charisma.
 
I seem to remember I was told by a breeder that the hens carry the size and the cocks the colouring. So if that's right the fact that he is too big may not be an issue.

Hope that's right because we want to breed Wyandottes in Spring and the new cockerel is only the same size as the hens. Hoping that the hens we have will give us another Big Softy Arnold who was huge, a real character, a gentleman with his girls and with an amazing crow.
 
How interesting that hens might carry the size. So Arnold didn't have big offspring?

My lower-status giant Marans pecks at me when I'm fiddling with things near him. Hope this isn't a bad sign.
 
Probably just being curious Chickenfan. We have one the same who likes buttons and jewellery.

Arnold had big hens, but only the same size as the parents which came from the Wernlass collection before it was sold off. Never tried a small cock with big hens to establish was sizes result.
 
Thanks Chris. I expect you have some very nice birds. I've no idea how to arrange my cockerels from different broods now they are too big to live with the pullets. Can I put them all in one run together, or will they fight?

Can I put the pullets that don't know each other together? Sorry to ask a silly question.
 
Well the Marans boy is definitely going for me with his pecking, even though he has hardly started to crow.
 
Our last hatch started fighting at 20 weeks onwards. That was TNN's out of sight of hens. They all gang up on the weakest one it seems.
 
Hi Chris, so is the key separating the birds into pullets and cockerels at quite a young age, say around 5-6 weeks, then rearing them together? Its worrying your TNN's decided to fight even though they were siblings and had grown up together, and there were no hens around.

Do you think its worth worrying that my big lower status Marans attacks me with his beak when I'm putting in food and water? It may perhaps be nerves as he's in a new place. He's never been a bother when I've been walking around his former run, but I have to decide soon whether to keep him or his brother. He seems very afraid of my little bantam cockerel when he comes near his pen, but the hens like him and gather around his pen.
 
We separate cockerels from hens as they show normally Chickenfan. TNN's are a very 'tribal' breed anyway- they ganged up on a Leghorn bantam cockerel. Although no single TNN cockerel could beat him, all six surrounded him and took it in turns to attack. After he had seen them all off once he began to tire and at that stage I pulled him out undamaged. That's the dangerous one I referred to previously who used to attack me for no reason. Perhaps that early experience is why? He was about 6 weeks old at that stage. We then separated the TNN cockerels from the rest of the hatch. The six TNN pullets, one Leghorn bantam pullet, two Leghorn bantam cockerels and a 'Chester' (accidental Orpington x Wyandotte) cockerel all co-existed quite happily.

Previously we had 20 odd Wyandotte and Buff Orpington cockerels in an enclosure. The top were the Orpingtons surprisingly. But then at 20 weeks the fighting started and it got bloody. Apparently the way to stop fighting (because it toughens the meat) is to have a 'peacekeeper' in with them- an older cock who takes charge. But at 26 weeks he will need pulling out or he will be attacked.

Sounds to me like your Marans is nervous. You've changed lots of things for him. Seems like the hens have made the choice for you though? When we introduced Chester to his bickering 'mothers' (one is his mother) we expected the young chap (about 16 weeks old) to struggle. So we put him in front of the run and he started trying to attract these hens. We were amazed when they all ran over to him and seemed really impressed. So we put him in a few weeks later and the bickering stopped immediately. They follow him everywhere -mind you he is now a very big, tall, very attentive and handsome chap so what hen wouldn't? When I hang cabbage leaves he reaches up and takes pieces off and gives them to the hens. Only when they all have a piece does he take some for himself -a real gentle giant. He does sometimes attack my wife Rosie when she is filling or cleaning and he has pecked my toes when I was wearing sandals! I am always careful not to get between him and his hens though.
 
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