What do you do with Day old roosters?

[amillecay]

@Ami, It may not be a lot to some, But I have about 60 eggs incubating right now (Candled and fertile).

That's a lot of chickies!

 

[loanwizard]

Why do you think it cruel to kill an animal? Do you eat meat? Would you let an animal suffer just because you cannot do the deed?

I don't ever feel good about killing, unless I am hunting, but nothing I kill gets wasted. My hogs eat dead chicks as will the dogs and chickens themselves.

I am no cruel and I also respect your right not to kill, just wondering the thought process behind it. My girlfriend is like that and I don't understand that about her either.

 

[amillecay]

Why do you think it cruel to kill an animal? Do you eat meat? Would you let an animal suffer just because you cannot do the deed?

I don't ever feel good about killing, unless I am hunting, but nothing I kill gets wasted. My hogs eat dead chicks as will the dogs and chickens themselves.

I am no cruel and I also respect your right not to kill, just wondering the thought process behind it. My girlfriend is like that and I don't understand that about her either.

Yes I eat meat. And I would do it if I had to, but we weren't talking about animals that are suffering we were talking about chicks that just hatched. And personally I just don't think it's okay to kill them when they have just been born, of course unless they are suffering in some way and can't be helped any other way.

 

[Gomes Bantams]

Raise them to a older age then sell em. I often go to the egg layer farms and take home 300 baby roos at a time. Then I sell them at the right age. Its better than having them killed.

 

[ChickenGirl22]

Personally I'd just put them up in the Buy/Trade part of BYC or find somebody who wants a rooster. You'd be surprised how many people actually want to add a rooster to their flock and won't eat the rooster. I did this with one of mine and he's now living happily at a breeder's. I don't think a life should be that short lived, animal or otherwise.

 

[Dutch552]

I usually grow them out and slaughter at 18-20 weeks or so for the freezer so long as I have an open pen for them. Otherwise they go online for sale.

 

[Quyen Le]

If I were you, I just raise them and either sell or eat them.

 

[kvmommy]

If you can't keep them all, you are in it to make a profit, will eventually kill them and eat them if you keep some and thus further the circle of life and needlessly killing a chick is hard on you (as I think it should be), then I say sell them at the poultry market. whether they are ferret food or snake food, at least their deaths are not pointless. At least they are still furthering the circle of life. I eat meat, but I also respect them for giving their lives for the nourishment of my body. I abhorr meaningless deaths. And IMHO killing them and disposing of them is meaningless and cruel. Let them offer up their lives to perpetuate other lives.

 

[bobbi-j]

It all comes down to the bottom line. If you are going to lose money by raising them to any age, then financially you are better off killing them at a day old. Period. I think most of the objections here are because people don't like the idea of killing a cute, fuzzy little chick. As long as it's done quickly and humanely, there is nothing "cruel" about it. What you do with them, ultimately, is your choice and you have to figure out what's the best option for you. Kill them at a day old, raise them as long as you can and sell them for ferret food, raise them as long as you can then butcher them for meat. In the end, they're going to die one way or another. Again, you are the only one who can decide what will be best for you. Personally, I have room to raise excess roosters. I live in the country, and I can keep them until they reach a good size to butcher. (I have a dozen in a grow-out pen right now, along with 3 others running loose that are also slated for the chopping block) I can't say with any certainty what I would do if I couldn't keep the roosters that I hatch out.

 

[kvmommy]

if he can sell them next week, then how is he better off killing them at day old?