Author Topic: Picking a "back-up" cockerel  (Read 1569 times)

The Malcolms

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Picking a "back-up" cockerel
« on: October 25, 2015, 04:52:01 PM »
Please help...
We like to keep a "back-up" son for each of our breeding cocks.  We have a dilemma regarding which BW bantam cockerel to keep.  Opinions would be appreciated.
Cockerel #1 - good type/shape, clean saddle feathers, hackle feathers about 80% clean, nice blue lacing on chest, comb just a bit "tall" but sits nicely on head, tail feathers dark blue and sickle feathers dark blue to black with green sheen
Cockerel #2 - shape is not as nice as #1 (more lanky all around), saddle feathers about 90% clean, hackle about the same as #1, most of the blue feathers are laced with wheaten (upper chest and back and some wing and tail feathers), nice comb, tail and sickle feathers blue with some wheaten lacing
Sorry, no access to photos at the moment but chime in anyway if you feel like it...
Thanks for your opinions🐔🐔🐔🐔

Mike Gilbert

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Re: Picking a "back-up" cockerel
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2015, 05:09:52 PM »
Without the benefit of photos, number one seems like an easy choice.    But why not hatch a bunch from him and then switch to the other one later and hatch a bunch more to see what they both produce?    The choice also should be made partially based on what the females are like.
Mike Gilbert
1st John 5:11-13

The Malcolms

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Re: Picking a "back-up" cockerel
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2015, 06:29:49 PM »
Thanks Mike.  That is the way we were leaning.  We had only cockerels this year 😜 but we know the mother of these 2 and have 3 other hens (W and BW) that are very good.  Two BB between them and they have kept good tail/primary color after their 1 year old molt.  Was most worried about the black in the tail of #1 but thought his overall shape may outweigh that.  Thanks again...🐔🐔🐔🐔