3 roosters!!! What to do??

[bobbi-j]

So I took my chances on non sexed Bantam chick from tractor supply. Ended up with 3 roosters!! So my question is should I rehome these little guys or keep them and see how it goes?? I have only had 1 rooster who I lost him last year when we lost our whole flock to a bear...
I have 6 bared rock and 3 pullet bantams and 3 young rooster bantams (can't think of what they are called... Cockerels?)

If you are allowed to keep roosters, I would say keep one, get rid of the other two. Your flock will be much happier that way. There is no guarantee one way or the other how it's going to go for you, but generally, too many roosters cause stress for the hens. Why wait until there are problems if you can prevent them from happening?

I also ended up w two roosters out of three chick's purchased at an ag supply store. How does that work out to be a 10% chance?? I discovered the first one and sent him off to a local farmer about two weeks ago and just a day ago discovered the second of the three is also a rooster. Since I need more than one hen I purchased two more chick's to be introduced later to my one remaining hen In the mean time, will this hen be ok on her own for a few weeks? Keeping the rooster is problematic as they are illegal here and he is heartily crowing every morning now.

If roosters are illegal, why are you trying to keep him? I would say find him a new home before you get any more attached and are forced to get rid of him later. Your hen will be fine on her own for a few weeks.

 

[Free Feather]

If you are allowed to keep roosters, I would say keep one, get rid of the other two. Your flock will be much happier that way. There is no guarantee one way or the other how it's going to go for you, but generally, too many roosters cause stress for the hens. Why wait until there are problems if you can prevent them from happening?

If roosters are illegal, why are you trying to keep him? I would say find him a new home before you get any more attached and are forced to get rid of him later. Your hen will be fine on her own for a few weeks.

You do not get rid of your dog because he could bite you. That does not mean he is going to. Nor do you put your child up for adoption because he could be a murderer when he is older.
I have alot of roosters with no issues. Just give them space and see how it goes. There is already a ton of roosters people do not want because they are boys, looking for homes. Why add two more to that mass if you do not have to?
I do not get everyone's coldness and aversion to roosters. If you do not like them for who they are, you do not really like chickens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I always recommend you keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals. It’s not that you are guaranteed problems with more roosters, just that it is more likely to have problems if you have more, especially the way a lot of people on this forum keep chickens. The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is personal preference. For a lot of people on this forum, especially with small backyard flocks in limited space, the best number of roosters to keep is zero.

I don’t much believe in magic numbers for chickens. That means square feet per chicken, how many inches of roost space per chicken, a specific age to integrate, or a hen to rooster ratio. We keep them in such different conditions, with different flock make-ups, with different goals, in different climates, keep different breeds or mixes, and have our own experiences that there cannot be one magic number that works for everyone. I have no doubt that Free Feathers can and does successfully keep chickens with that low a hen to rooster ratio but I’d venture that those chickens have a lot more room that a typical backyard flock. Different conditions allow you to keep them different ways.

That hen will be OK by herself. Keep the chicks near her if you can so they get used to each other but safely seaprated. She will probably want to get to those chicks because they are flock animals, but just because she wants the company doesn’t mean she isn’t a threat to them. Many of us integrate pretty young chicks with the flock without issue, but each flock has its own dynamics and we all have different conditions. The more room they have the better. I don’t know the right age for you to integrate them. That’s going to depend on your set-up and the personality of your chickens, especially the hen. When you do integrate, do it at a time you can watch and take action if you need to.

Good luck!

 

[torilovessmiles]

You do not get rid of your dog because he could bite you. That does not mean he is going to. Nor do you put your child up for adoption because he could be a murderer when he is older.
I have alot of roosters with no issues. Just give them space and see how it goes. There is already a ton of roosters people do not want because they are boys, looking for homes. Why add two more to that mass if you do not have to?
I do not get everyone's coldness and aversion to roosters. If you do not like them for who they are, you do not really like chickens.

Many of us see them as livestock. I need enough roosters to fertilize eggs and protect my girls, that's it. They do not produce eggs, so too many roosters is a waste of money to most of us. I like the roosters I have, but I don't get attached to extras. They're food, that's why I raise chickens in the first place! It doesn't mean I "don't like chickens".
The difference is, a 1:3 ratio doesn't work for most people. It may work for you, but most hens end up bare backed and with damaged legs due to overmating. It's very possible that your hens' skeletons look absolutely terrible due to the amount of roosters mating them, keep in mind. One could easily argue that you do not really love your chickens by the amount of stress you put on your hens, as well.
You can keep as many roosters as you want if it works for you, but do not judge others for only keeping a recommended 1:10 ratio.

 

[leahcim823]

Thanks everyone, my husband suggested keeping them for the freezer. But because they are bantams I second guess that.
It's hard to find homes for roosters in my area. I think I'll try rehoming 2 of them.
Our barn is about 8x12 and they have a small outside yard, and free range when we are home.