Neighbor hates my chickens- will she do them harm?

[BigBirdy]

I forgot they take their newborns away. But I'm sure there are people out there who'll have the time to formula feed the calves, then when theyre full they let them go back to play with the mother. If I had a farm and wanted milk that's probably what I'd do.

My roosters run away whenever someone comes close, but youre right maybe the kids should at least be 10+ years old to be safe.

I'm already getting messages from people on here who want me to fly them all over the US. But ideally I can find some people not too far by so I can drop them off and visit them once or twice a year. I want them to only be used as pets or breeding so I'm thinking of having whoever wants them pay $40 each, then after two years if they show me updated pictures or video of them, then I'll give them back the $40 for each one they took off my hands. Most people won't love an animal as much if they just got it for free.

 

[pdirt]

This is part of the responsibility of keeping chickens. Unless your rooster is show quality, you'll be hard pressed to find someone willing to pay one penny for it. If you give it to a shelter, the honorable thing to do is to at least make a donation to them to help pay for feed. You might find a really nice person willing to take your rooster in, who does not intend to eat it and to try to give it the life you hope him to have. And in that case, it would again be the honorable thing to do to give them some money to take care of him. They shouldn't be paying you. If they're not trustworthy to do as they say, then $40 isn't going to change that. Just my opinion.

Everyone and their sister is trying to offload unwanted roosters. Most of them end up in soup pots because the folks who received them don't have room for roosters either. You have to search much harder to find the kind of life you are looking for for them.

 

[perchie.girl]

@pdirt

Thats why as a responsible chicken owner and breeder i plan on learning how to process extra roos for the freezer. This way I will know what food went in and how healthy they are.... And control how humanely the chicken is processed... So I will know it went quietly without stress...

I am not there yet I need to rebuild then take some classes...

deb

 

[donrae]

I forgot they take their newborns away. But I'm sure there are people out there who'll have the time to formula feed the calves, then when theyre full they let them go back to play with the mother. If I had a farm and wanted milk that's probably what I'd do.

My roosters run away whenever someone comes close, but youre right maybe the kids should at least be 10+ years old to be safe.

I'm already getting messages from people on here who want me to fly them all over the US. But ideally I can find some people not too far by so I can drop them off and visit them once or twice a year. I want them to only be used as pets or breeding so I'm thinking of having whoever wants them pay $40 each, then after two years if they show me updated pictures or video of them, then I'll give them back the $40 for each one they took off my hands. Most people won't love an animal as much if they just got it for free.

This is faulty thinking, equating a purchase price with love. After all, I got my kids for free (actually, made them from scratch myself lol) and couldn't love anyone or anything more.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

What he means is, if someone really wants something, they're willing to pay for it. Ask any animal shelter. I know several who used to adopt out dogs for free, but they had crazy return rates. People would take the dog for a few weeks/months/years and then just bring it back to the shelter. So now they charge crazy high prices, and apparently people keep the dogs now. Only problem is now way less people actually adopt.

 

[Pyxis]

I forgot they take their newborns away. But I'm sure there are people out there who'll have the time to formula feed the calves, then when theyre full they let them go back to play with the mother. If I had a farm and wanted milk that's probably what I'd do.

My roosters run away whenever someone comes close, but youre right maybe the kids should at least be 10+ years old to be safe.

I'm already getting messages from people on here who want me to fly them all over the US. But ideally I can find some people not too far by so I can drop them off and visit them once or twice a year. I want them to only be used as pets or breeding so I'm thinking of having whoever wants them pay $40 each, then after two years if they show me updated pictures or video of them, then I'll give them back the $40 for each one they took off my hands. Most people won't love an animal as much if they just got it for free.

I'm really sorry, but you're not going to find anyone who'll take you up on that unless your roosters happen to be top show quality birds, which I doubt they are. You might find someone who'll take them for free and give them a good home, but you won't find someone who'll give you $40. Why would they, when they can just hit craigslist and find another one for free? I'm sorry to say this, but this is a part of chicken keeping. Roosters aren't like cats and dogs where each sex is equally wanted and desired. Roosters are loud, big, and having too many of them leads to stress and injury for your hens. They cost money to keep and they don't lay any eggs to give back. As many roosters as hens hatch, and only one is needed for every ten hens. Doing the math, it's easy to see that nine out of ten aren't going to be able to get a life with a flock. It's part of responsible flock management to accept this, and I personally would rather know that my birds lived a good happy life and died a quick humane death at my hands than dumping them somewhere or giving them to a shelter that's just going to put them down after a while when they don't find a home. Already by living with me they've had a happier, more natural life than those that are raised in factory farms that you buy in a supermarket.

Also, I wouldn't get your hopes up about being able to visit them. I might consider taking in a rooster, but not with that stipulation. I don't need it hanging over me that now I need to keep this person updated about the bird, and let them traipse onto my farm, where I practice biosecurity, so they can visit a rooster that I was just trying to give a new home to and is now instead a pain in my butt. If you give them to someone else, they no longer belong to you. You don't get to dictate what that person does with them, and you don't get to demand that you get to see them. I'm sorry, but you can't have your cake and eat it too. I would very quickly decide on taking someone else's rooster the second someone asked this of me. If you really want your birds to have a chance of finding new homes, you're going to need to lower your expectations a lot. There's an endless supply of roosters looking for new homes. Sorry if this post comes off as harsh, I'm just trying to show you the realities of keeping chickens.

 

[aart]

Major Thread Drift....SHM.

 

[Pyxis]

Major Thread Drift....SHM.

I agree, back to more Spock stories! It actually looks like that poster posted in and derailed several established threads instead of starting their own - I saw them in a couple threads I read and finally I just had to chime in. I lurk in this thread and like to read, so I hope we get an update soon

 

[sophiaw00]

Just spent 4 hours reading this thread...lost track of time. It really makes me want to go hug my rooster, then go and hug all my neighbors for loving him as much as I do.

 

[BlackBriars]

Crazy Lady's DH is as culpable as she in my eyes.

Let the saga continue!