Red wattle rooster vs barred rock rooster for flock protection...

I had a red wattle rooster for two years and he was okay but never really watched for hawks, then I traded for a barred rock rooster from a neighbor in Oregon three months ago. That barred rock spots predators from way further away and sounds the alarm before anything gets close, plus he's way more gentle with the hens. Has anyone else noticed a big difference between breeds when it comes to guarding behavior?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony_wells1mo ago

My old red wattle was more of a "look, a hawk, hope it doesn't eat me" kind of protector, you know, useless. But that barred rock sounds like a champ, I've heard they're naturally more alert and protective, guess mine was just the broken model. Still better than my first rooster, a silkie who'd hide under the coop if a butterfly flew by, which was basically a regular Tuesday.

parkernelson1mo ago

That bit about the silkie hiding from butterflies got me. I used to think all roosters were pretty much the same, but hearing how different yours were makes me realize it really is a gamble with each bird's personality.