When to remove roosters?!?

[BroodyB]

So I have 6 straight run chicks that are 7 weeks old. 3 are definite rooster and 2 are definitely pullet and I'm calling one a "wait and see" even though I'm pretty sure I'm just in denial and it's a rooster. Anywho... I'm really in no hurry to remove the roosters yet even though I eventually must when they start crowing but everyone is living happily together out in the coop and run. I guess my concern is: is there a certain time frame I need to remove them for the safety of the 2 hens? Or that it will be just the two of them till spring all cold in the coop during a long Minnesota winter? My family has no problem culling The chickens for dinner... So how long should I wait till I butcher them and is it too drastic to remove them all at once? I have a lot of questions!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

They'll be crowing and long gone by the time everyone reaches sexual maturity. At that time the few pullets would be bare backed and many hackle feathers missing by the over abundance of males learning to mate them.

 

[Folly's place]

It's a matter of getting maximum growth (your preferred carcass weight) and the excitement of having a group of rowdy teenage males being stupid every day. I would add that two pullets is a very small number; can you get some more to make up a flock, or will they be added to your existing group? Right now I've got a group of 17 week olds who are way disruptive, and most of the boys will be gone very soon! Mary

 

[BroodyB]

They'll be crowing and long gone by the time everyone reaches sexual maturity. At that time the few pullets would be bare backed and many hackle feathers missing by the over abundance of males learning to mate them.

If I wait the 12-16 weeks to butcher them will they be okay to keep together till then? Is it beneficial to butcher one a week to avoid shock since the flock is small?

 

[Folly's place]

Don't worry about it. Every missing bird rearranges the pecking order, so do what works for you. Mine are all together, with the mature birds. My one large rooster is VERY busy, managing about ten cockrels who all have bad ideas. No injuries, but lots of drama. We are all tired of it, and I've picked out the two boys who are staying, so the rest will be leaving this week. Anyone near southern Michigan need a white Chantecler or Speckled Sussex cockrel? How about an Easter Egger or olive egger boy? Let me know ASAP! Mary

 

[BroodyB]

It's a matter of getting maximum growth (your preferred carcass weight) and the  excitement of having a group of rowdy teenage males being stupid every day.  I would add that two pullets is a very small number;  can you get some more to make up a flock, or will they be added to your existing group?  Right now I've got a group of 17 week olds who are way disruptive, and most of the boys will be gone very soon!  Mary

This is my first round of chickens. I can only have three hens in my town but originally got 7 because they were straight run. One died the first week and the remaining 6 left me with two hens only. I will add more but wanted to wait till spring. It's about to start getting cold here in Minnesota.

 

[donrae]

Don't worry about it. Every missing bird rearranges the pecking order, so do what works for you. Mine are all together, with the mature birds. My one large rooster is VERY busy, managing about ten cockrels who all have bad ideas. No injuries, but lots of drama. We are all tired of it, and I've picked out the two boys who are staying, so the rest will be leaving this week. Anyone near southern Michigan need a white Chantecler or Speckled Sussex cockrel? How about an Easter Egger or olive egger boy? Let me know ASAP! Mary

How funny you're posting this--it's exactly what I had going on last year

My good rooster Eric had a small flock of half a dozen hens, then I also used his pen as the grow out for cockerels and there were 7 (I think) for him to ride herd on. Pretty sure none of those young guns ever mounted a hen, he made sure of that! But boy did he sigh in relief when we butchered

Now he's got three young Olive egger cockerels in his pen. I don't think he's amused at all

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If I wait the 12-16 weeks to butcher them will they be okay to keep together till then? Is it beneficial to butcher one a week to avoid shock since the flock is small?

They'll be fine at that age. The best time to cull is when they are going through a mini molt at that time. Depends on weather, breed etc. but you'll notice a bunch of feathers about around the 14 week mark. Just wait for that time. Reason being is with an economic view the birds will put the protein to growing new feathers instead of meat for a few weeks after this mini molt. Why feed them for no gain other than more feathers to pluck? They really will stay stagnant in size until feathers are grown back then begin to put on weight again. So the 14ish week (during that molt) mark is a excellent time to cull.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you had a mature flock, I would just wait and butcher at the 14-16 week age as the others recommended. But with them all being so young, high on studpid and jerkism and so many of them and so few pullets.

I think I would separate the pullets from the roosters, and I think I would do it fairly soon.

Mrs K

 

[enola]

I butcher cockerels as soon as they start crowing. (Most large fowl breeds don't crow before 12 weeks.)