1st *flock* of chicks this weekend.. what if i get roosters?

[xanaxnation]

im starting with 4 chicks this weekend. they will be in a rabbit cage inside the house until they're big enough (feathered?) to go outside in the tractor we're building.

my question... what do i do with the boys? im sure at least one will be a boy and i dont want that.. i only want hens. but its not like i can return the boys to the feed store....

and since i want 3-4 total, how do i introduce new ones after i re-home the boys and buy more chicks?

thanks!

 

[silkiechicken]

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Browse around and see what you can find. Search is pretty useful.

When and how you put them together will depend on ages.

You can eat the boys, sell the boys, give the boys away.

When they can go to the tractor depends if you can heat iit or not and your local weather.


Introducing chicks/ integrating flocks:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=44892

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=36773

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=42430

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=41500

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=40631

 

[hcammack]

You can eat the boys or keep them or may be try to find a home where they will eat them if you don't want them. It is almost impossible to find a home for roosters that you don't want eaten.

Good Luck,
Henry

 

[Gindee77]

With all due respect to what Henry just said about not being able to find homes that don't want to eat your roosters, that's most of the time the case, but I did!

I looked on Craig's list and found a wonderful lady who just moved onto 3 acres and wants all sorts of poultry to live on her property. She is a vegetarian and just likes to watch the chickens. She doesn't care if they are males or females and has enough room for a few roosters. She also lives only 40 miles from me!

This was one of my biggest problems. I just got back into having chickens after quite a few years and I had the same dilemma you have. The only other person I could find who may have been interested was a co-worker who wanted to eat them. I can't have the roos because we live in town and are trying to end up with a very quiet flock.

We're also possibly going to get some more chicks at the end of April and I am going to watch this thread for answers about putting two different aged chicks together, how and when!

 

[justinszoo]

You could buy pullets, which would greatly reduce your odds of getting boys