Selling roosters and hens - question about a good home

I'm asking this just out of curiosity, as it's too late to do anything. A friend of mine sold about 17 of her chickens (mostly roosters with a few hens) to a man for $80. He said he lives out in the country, and the chickens just free range on his land. Some where full size roosters, some were bantam. One rooster had a bad leg, and when she asked if he wanted that one too, he said sure. Some roosters were a pure bred, but most where a mix. There were a couple of hens in with the bunch too.

I just keep thinking about her chickens and wondering if they went to a cock fighting place, as bait or something. Why would someone pay for so many roosters? Or, am I overlooking something? Maybe he's planning to eat them, which while sad, hopefully he kills them quickly. But, what about the bantams, and especially the bantam with the hurt foot?

Anyway, do people still fight chickens? Is that something to watch out for when re-homing roosters? Is there some other reason someone buys so many varied roosters?

I'm a softy, so I just keep thinking about her sweet roos! I really hope this man just likes having lots of chickens roam free on his land, and I hope he has a coop for them!

Thanks!

There is still people who cockfight, but they mostly use fighting breeds and usually breed their own birds. My guess would be the person buying them knows nothing of keeping chickens or he plans to eat the roosters. There are far more roosters than homes for all of them. Though this is the reason that we cull or butcher instead of rehomed, it is kinder in the end I think to the roosters.

Selling animals that we raise can be an emotional time for some chicken owners-especially us females. We want the perfect home for what we consider our pets. Unfortunately, for some people, chickens are not pets. That does not mean these birds are abused but instead these chickens are valuable livestock in which people make a living from. Personally, I'd much rather my roosters end up in the crock pot than in a fighting pit.

I'm cautious as to who I sell to but am lucky that I live in a small town so I know the person taking my roosters-they provide food for a hungry family who bless me every time they get roosters from me. Since my lively-hood does not depend on selling chickens or eggs, I control the number of hatching birds thus I don't have very many roosters to 'take care' of.

I know it aint easy letting them go, but in doing so, us humans somehow learn that we can't control everything all the time. And once I learned that lesson, I became a better human being. Yes, sometimes I have tears in my eyes when they leave the farm. But all the clucking and cackling behind me remind me to take care of what I do have with all my heart.

Yes, it's hard to see them go, and not know if they are being cared for. They were spoiled at her house, but she had to downsize. She was uncomfortable asking too many questions, and I understand that. I hope they are either happy, or were butchered quickly. I rehomed a couple of roosters before, but I'm such a chicken softy, that I required a home visit first. LOL. It's a tough world out there for roosters!

I hope you guys are right and they are not being used in cock fighting. I also hope they have shelter, because it's been cold lately. Thanks for your input!

Be careful that you don't make her feel guilty. Once they belong to someone else, they are not your concern, and these never did belong to you.

If you don't want to cull, or give away or sell birds, you should probably not hatch. Roosters are a fact of life, and they will need to be taken care of in one way or another. I really like old chick's advice. Let it go, or it can drive you crazy.

Mrs K

Mrs. K said:

Be careful that you don't make her feel guilty. Once they belong to someone else, they are not your concern, and these never did belong to you.

If you don't want to cull, or give away or sell birds, you should probably not hatch. Roosters are a fact of life, and they will need to be taken care of in one way or another. I really like old chick's advice. Let it go, or it can drive you crazy.

Mrs K

Click to expand...

Absolutely!!

The divide between chickens for pets and chickens for food is a perilous one......
......each keeper makes their own decisions that if not lauded certainly shouldn't be questioned...or interfered with.

I'm not making her feel guilty, that's why I asked here and didn't ask her. She is worried too, but I think she was in a place where she had no choice. I was just curious what others thought - if cock fighting was even a thing anymore, and if someone would pay that much money for roosters to fight them, or use them as bait (since these are not a fighting kind of breed - in fact one of them is injured). I wish the world wasn't so cruel to chickens. I don't eat chickens, but I respect those who do, if they do it humanely. And, while the chickens are alive, they should be well cared for.

Anyway, I'm not saying she didn't do the right thing - I am just struggling with it myself. Wish she could have kept them all! Kind of feel guilty myself, if i wanted her to keep them I should have helped pay for them I guess!

But, I have a new reason to be sad today - my precious, beautiful mottled orpington died suddenly this morning, in my arms. She's at the vets getting a necropsy done now, but I'm just torn up that she's gone. I can't believe it - she was fine last night when they went to bed. This morning she was laying on the floor of the coop, so I brought her into the house to try to nurse her back (thinking she got too cold last night). A few hours later she had a seizure and died.

Thanks all for your help with the rooster questions!

Sorry about your hen, chickens have a way of just dying one day, and leaving us owners confused as why. I too think as you do about chickens, it's the main reason I don't breed unless I have room for roosters or the fortitude to let my husband butcher them. I try to give my chickens a decent life, and I know it is better than birds in production. Sorry again for your hen.

Sorry for the loss of your hen. Sometimes chickens experience catastrophic cardiac events that result in sudden deaths as you have experienced.