Eight Roosters

I understand the stress of pubecent roo's! It was a nightmare for my pullets and myself. I wish your roo's well. This çan work and in exchange you get to experience what your boys offer to chicken keeping. I absolutely love my boys. Please, keep us posted.

Ok, so this thread has been on my mind and in my heart for many reasons. I'm not sure what your original reason for wanting even 1 rooster was. many people are misinformed and think roosters are great protection for their flock. Which is true in some cases. Some roosters will die defending their girls. However that's just it the rooster basically dies IN PLACE of the girl who may have otherwise lost her life. My top hens do just as good of a job at warning of dangers and such. And even though you purchase all sexed pullets, with that many you are still gonna end up with boys as the accuracy rate is not 100% no matter how hard they try. I bought 2 sexed wyandottes that were BOTH males. So even though they may have 90% accuracy, it also has to do with luck of the draw to a degree. On the other hand, I got 3 straight run Silkies that all turned out to be girls... the person who got theirs' before me, I'm guessing didn't end up with as many if any pullets. So we can make all the plans we want but still have to roll with it when needed.

I just wanted to thank you for letting me share what little experience I do have and let you know that it has given me the opportunity to do a double take of my own keeping practices and an outside look at my experiences.

I have to say that in no way are my boys in the stag pen suffering even though they pace to get to the pullets, as I indicated that wasn't much of a life in my previous post. But this thread has helped me to see there are things I can do to help alleviate that frustration for them! My pens are attached side by side with conjoined covered runs where their access doors and feed are. Every time a girl lays an egg she comes to this area and does her thing. That must be very difficult for the boys. So I think I will put a visual barrier at least in that area so the poor boys aren't bombarded by this constantly. Where they can reach through the fence near the OS feeder that every lady visits. Maybe it will give them a chance to more fully enjoy their days as well. When there are no girls in the immediate vicinity I can see the boys do other normal chicken things like they should... and so handsome while they are doing it as well! Chicken keeping has been a constant growing experience for me. And my time is much more productively spent trying to solve these little challenges than watching any drama on TV or focusing on what's wrong with life or the world. It has improved my state of mind as well as my health. But as you are experiencing, it can also be stressful and demanding. But once you find your balance, to me the benefits far outweigh the challenges. And I hope you will find that peace very soon!

As said by many, just have to wait and see how it works out for your birds. Honestly if I had only 8 with more than 50 girls... well, after maturity, I would just let them be 1 flock instead of keeping a stag pen.

I didn't realize their was a high mortality rate for caponizing. But I realize it for other procedures in regards to my dogs, and their lives are too valuable to me that I'm not willing to risk having them go under anesthesia for a number of things. For example the vet will say oh, you've got some tarter build up, we should get that cleaned so you don't loose any of those teeth. Well that's all fine and dandy but if my dog doesn't wake up I could give a hoot about a tooth they may or may NOT have lost over the next 5 years. I did get all of my dogs spayed or neutered though. That the benefit outweighed the risk. I know you will be weighing out all those possibilities while trying to make your decision. Just remember to make the best decision you can that lines up with what's in your heart! I hate to say it, but keeping chickens does include heart break at some point for everyone I have ever talked to. Still, the joy outweighs it, usually. Hang in there, it's refreshing to meet someone with a tender heart (even if I think it's a little naive). We all have to do what works for us or it doesn't work period.

I have kept roosters in bachelor pens, mostly in pairs or trio's. Some get along fine, others are fighters, but I can always find some that do okay together. I would plan on separating out the rooster at about 3-4 months when they start to become sexually mature. You may or may not need more than one pen.

I don't rehomed because I would rather butcher them than wonder how they are being treated. I wouldn't recommend caponizing them. They will end up being big fat birds.

I always pen my extra roosters where they can be a part of the flock or the birds can come up to the fence. I have kept roosters penned long term and they can be happy if property paired with other roosters they get along with and can sweet talk hens through the fence.

Being that you have 58 hens you can leave some with the girls or add some back into the flock down the road, I would try 4 or 5 which leaves only a few boys to keep penned.

Oh yes, I've got one boy who is being quite the charmer through the fence! Sticks his head through and one of the girls grooms him.

I was curious if they could still learn their manners for a later date without being with the ladies, so they could be gentlemen when they are together. @oldhenlikesdogs post makes me believe that is a huge possibility! Which is especially awesome because I do want my guys to mate... it's WHY I keep them.

Didn't think about the caponizing making them fat.. and therefore possibly unhealthy. It's good to have all the facts!

Most of mine grow into wonderful roosters, especially the ones that I pen for a few months up to a year for bad hen manners. Young boys of any species can have troubles controlling themselves.

I spoke to my son, and he will build a bachelor pad this week. I have called 4 different vets and only one will castrate a rooster, and the cost is $500 per bird and he recommends four months old. Originally I did not want any roosters at all but a friend of mine talked me into getting at least one. Her parents have a farm and she told me that all flocks should have at least one rooster so I just figured she knew what she was talking about. I will not pay $500 a bird to have them castrated. I will just have my son build the Bachelor Pad put all the roosters in there and hope that they all get along.

As long as you provide plenty of room and outlet, they will probably do well. Glad your son is going to be able to help you.

As far as your friends suggestion... I'm sure they were well meaning as most people including me are, but I hope this experience and our encouragement shows you in the future that no matter what it is, you always have to do what you believe, will work best for you. Because all of us have unique conditions, climates, set ups, desires, and needs as well as mentalities and abilities. And I might be a morning person and clean my coop then and only once a week while you might be an afternoon person who cleans your coop everyday, for example. And you might find that what you are doing isn't working and try to find another way. No one way is the best right way for everybody. And now you have lot's of experiences and opinions at your disposal with BYC.

oldhenlikesdogs said:

Most of mine grow into wonderful roosters, especially the ones that I pen for a few months up to a year for bad hen manners. Young boys of any species can have troubles controlling themselves.

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Glad to hear that about them maturing nicely!

Agreed about young males of any species having difficulty. Having animals of many kinds and seeing them go through their natural phases has really clued me in as to how other people and our teenage kids really are doing what comes natural to them... including showing off and fighting to attract potential mates and mating rights.