90% rooster flock

[inmychickenmomera]

So I’ve posted a few times about my BYC and if they were roos vs hens.
I must have some bad luck as a beginner because all three of the RIRs that TSC advertised and sold were supposed to be pullets and all three ended up being Roos. I had hope that the last RIR that we have was a hen because they were the smallest of the three … however today she started crowing and her tail plumage started showing signs of being a roo.
I’m so disappointed and upset that this happened. 5/6 of our beginning flock were roosters. How does someone get past that and continue? I know I need more hens now cause it isn’t fair to just have Pepper our only BR hen to be alone

 

[Debbie292d]

Awe, so sorry!
Well, all I can say is try again and hopefully have better luck getting pullets. You could try seeing if in your local FB poultry groups if anyone's got pullets for sale.

If it comes down to rehoming some of those roosters, here's a post with lots of ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/tips-for-re-homing-cockerels-and-roosters.78704/

 

[GlicksChicks]

I'm sorry that happened. That is never fun.

You could find some chickens around their age to put with your two pullets.

 

[Folly's place]

Vent sexing is not 100% accurate, but even so, farm stores selling chicks often have mislabeled chicks in their bins. Often!
Best you move all these cockerels on elsewhere, before they hit puberty. Buy more pullets, consider a decent hatchery, especially if one is in driving distance.
You might have better luck at a farm store, especially if you research breeds and what each breed's chicks look like first. This won't help with RIRs, but still a very good idea. Even when young, single combed breed chicks can have a very slightly larger/ pinker comb if male.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

How does someone get past that and continue?

I can't answer that, it is a very personal question. What are your reasons for having chickens? What will you do with those boys? Do you have zoning issues restricting roosters or number of chickens? We are all unique, what works for me may not work for you.

What do you want to happen? To me that is the most important question.

Personally I'd raise those boys to eat but that is my goals, probably not yours. You may want to sell them or give them away. Having that many boys together can get pretty wild when they go through puberty. If you want to keep them you might look at a bachelor pad. What you do with the boys is one of your issues.

Some of the employees at TSC, Rural King, or other feed stores are very competent but some are not. Four boys out of four chicks that were supposed to be girls is unbelievably bad odds, somebody messed up.

You said you want more girls. You can try buying sexed chicks from that TSC or another feed store. You might do much better. You can put an ad in the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum, putting your location in the thread title so you attract the attention of your neighbors. Or find your state thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors. You may find someone to take your boys or that may have started pullets. Or that may be willing to share an order from a hatchery. Your odds of getting girls from a hatchery are not 100% but are really good.

Sometimes life smacks you up the side of the head. All you can do is face it and keep plugging away. It will get better.

 

[inmychickenmomera]

Awe, so sorry!
Well, all I can say is try again and hopefully have better luck getting pullets. You could try seeing if in your local FB poultry groups if anyone's got pullets for sale.

If it comes down to rehoming some of those roosters, here's a post with lots of ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/tips-for-re-homing-cockerels-and-roosters.78704/

I have definitely looked at that thread for sure. Sadly, we posted them on FB and Craigslist and no takers, I noticed a lot of posts with rehoming Roosters as well. We were only able to rehome the very first rooster that started crowing 4 weeks ago. We have already dispatched two of the others for meat.

 

[inmychickenmomera]

I'm sorry that happened. That is never fun.

You could find some chickens around their age to put with your two pullets.

That’s what I was thinking, I found some local ads on Craigslist with the same age pullets maybe a few weeks younger.

 

[inmychickenmomera]

I can't answer that, it is a very personal question. What are your reasons for having chickens? What will you do with those boys? Do you have zoning issues restricting roosters or number of chickens? We are all unique, what works for me may not work for you.

What do you want to happen? To me that is the most important question.

Personally I'd raise those boys to eat but that is my goals, probably not yours. You may want to sell them or give them away. Having that many boys together can get pretty wild when they go through puberty. If you want to keep them you might look at a bachelor pad. What you do with the boys is one of your issues.

Some of the employees at TSC, Rural King, or other feed stores are very competent but some are not. Four boys out of four chicks that were supposed to be girls is unbelievably bad odds, somebody messed up.

You said you want more girls. You can try buying sexed chicks from that TSC or another feed store. You might do much better. You can put an ad in the "Buy-Sell-Trade" section of this forum, putting your location in the thread title so you attract the attention of your neighbors. Or find your state thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section of this forum and chat with your neighbors. You may find someone to take your boys or that may have started pullets. Or that may be willing to share an order from a hatchery. Your odds of getting girls from a hatchery are not 100% but are really good.

Sometimes life smacks you up the side of the head. All you can do is face it and keep plugging away. It will get better.

You are so kind! Thank you!
It definitely has been hard knowing 5/6 are roosters. We can’t have roosters here so as we continue to look for homes we have one on our BR Roo Salt, but may have to dispatch the RIR roo now as meat.
I have been researching local farms but no luck lately

 

[GlicksChicks]

That’s what I was thinking, I found some local ads on Craigslist with the same age pullets maybe a few weeks younger.

That would be a good idea. Quarantine them for a while so you can be sure that you don't pass anything to your pullets.

 

[Mrs. K]

Thank God, you can process them. Some people can't, and want advice how to make them all live together nicely.

Contact your local extension office, ask about poultry clubs, and or 4-H clubs. This can let you meet up with other crazy chicken people. Sometimes you can get pullets from them.

As for quarantine, always a good idea, but with one pullet, it is not a lot to risk. Do not take anything you are sorry for. Ask if they go to swaps or auctions. If they have not been introducing strange birds, and do not have sick birds, that is a good sign.

Mrs K