A CALL OUT for responsible pet ownership! Unwanted roos, ducks, etc.

[KDailey]

Quote:
My argument against this is that more times than not when you buy grown chickens they aren't as friendly as ones you raise from chicks. I've thought of buying a few laying hens because my chicks are still only between 1-2 months old. But I don't because I've got one chick, the oldest, that my neighbor brought me in kindness ( a purebred white ameraucana) and I can't touch it. She bought it from a breeder along with several others and was being nice in giving it to me. I'd rather she have kept it and used it herself just because I want all my chickens to be easily handled in case they need special attention for whatever reason.

I wouldn't buy grown chickens for this reason unless I knew the person selling them well and knew for a fact that the chicken was friendly and well socialized. Most chickens you find on craigslist are just a bunch of mutts that somebody's got for eggs and meat and they just run all over the place doing their own thing and aren't socialized.

Which brings up the point that some people want breeds that aren't readily accessable. In my area there are pretty much only orpingtons, rhode island reds and a few marans but not many. I don't want what everybody else has. Hatcheries sell out of the "rare" breeds for months at a time. It's too hot to ship live chicks anyways so even breeders are out of the question even if you do buy them sexed. So I'm getting hatching eggs. I may turn out all roosters, who knows. It's all chance.

 

[Nicole01]

I didn't read all the posts, but hatcheries cull most of their roosters as young chicks. I'm planning on breeding my frizzle with a barred rock rooster. I will eat any unwanted chicks when they are a good size to cull male and female. I'd much rather raise my own meat then to buy it from the store. I will give all the chicks a well cared for and happy home. If Hubby let me have a rooster, I'd raise all my chicken meat myself. I've never considered myself as a unresponsible pet owner. We've spent thousands and thousands of dollars toward vet bills and it's worth every penny!

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
My argument against this is that more times than not when you buy grown chickens they aren't as friendly as ones you raise from chicks. I've thought of buying a few laying hens because my chicks are still only between 1-2 months old. But I don't because I've got one chick, the oldest, that my neighbor brought me in kindness ( a purebred white ameraucana) and I can't touch it. She bought it from a breeder along with several others and was being nice in giving it to me. I'd rather she have kept it and used it herself just because I want all my chickens to be easily handled in case they need special attention for whatever reason.

I wouldn't buy grown chickens for this reason unless I knew the person selling them well and knew for a fact that the chicken was friendly and well socialized. Most chickens you find on craigslist are just a bunch of mutts that somebody's got for eggs and meat and they just run all over the place doing their own thing and aren't socialized.

Which brings up the point that some people want breeds that aren't readily accessable. In my area there are pretty much only orpingtons, rhode island reds and a few marans but not many. I don't want what everybody else has. Hatcheries sell out of the "rare" breeds for months at a time. It's too hot to ship live chicks anyways so even breeders are out of the question even if you do buy them sexed. So I'm getting hatching eggs. I may turn out all roosters, who knows. It's all chance.

Its true - it's easier to tame babies. No one has said not to get hatchlings. What we have said is to have a plan for them. Your plan may include a new home, stew pot or sale. Thats your personal choice. Just don't be surprised when the 8 cockerels you have are not easy to re-home if you havn't figured it out ahead of time. That said, if you buy chicks as opposed to adults, you are running the risk of that bird being eaten if it is a roo - even your forever home that you have lined up may not pan out - it happened to you already, but how about if it had worked out and then 6 months down the road they had to move, etc.? That happens.

Shipping adult poultry is an excellent option, its not always too hot, just too hot right now. Craigslist just takes time. I sell fantastic culls all the time on Craigslist. I ship. Many people here on BYC ship, and many socialize thier birds. If you wait and be specific about what you want, it can be had. You seem to want to eat your cake, and have it too.

 

[alisonmtv]

Quote:
first, bantams are never sexed as chicks (they are too small) so, no, they don't play into the 10%, yes you can buy adult bantams, BUT if you are keeping them as pets (which I don't know of anyone that raises a bantam as anything but a pet or show animal) if you buy them as adults good luck being able to handle them ...

and second, plans for rehoming go wrong - ours did ... I accept the practice of hatcheries and planned accordingly, plans fall through so now we are trying to make a new one - my "blame" on the hatcheries and current vet techniques goes out only to those who started this thread and those who condemn owners who are trying to find a safe place for their pet roos that they can't keep ... instead of insulting the owners (yes, this thread was a direct insult to such owners), acknowledge that these owners are making do with the best option available by using forums to try to find their pet a good home, and keep the sanctimonious attitudes to yourselves ... because if it wasn't for the prevailing attitude that an unwanted roo belongs in a pot and not worth spending a few dollars on, there would be strides in vet science for selective breeding of hens or humane surgery and options for controlling crowing ...

You need to read carefully. I said that of the 10% of sexed chicks, (large fowl), the principals that I mentioned in preparing for the problems of unwanted bantam roos are just as applicable. You seem to have trouble understanding me, so i'll break it down step by step. In the case of bantams, which cannot be sexed, you should have a plan in place for unwanted roos or buy adults from a breeder. The same applies to large fowl: Have a plan in place for unwanted large fowl (average 10% or less margin of error on sexing) or buy adults only.

In regards to the studies on vet care for poultry: Its economics that drive research. There is no money to be made on studies on neutoring roos or whatever it is that you want studies on for backyard pet chickens. Most vet studies for poultry or any other food livestock is funded by those groups with an interest in keeping birds healthy and thriving to point of slaughter. Its the consumption of animals and research into human disease that has funded any studies and breakthroughs on animal veterinary care.

So, sorry if in your case the plans you made fell through. I have actually met dozens of folks who never had any such plans, and that is a problem. I guess it goes to show you - if you can't keep it yourself, you have no control over the animals fate.

thank you, a lot of that was part of my "third" that got left out of the post:

Third - ditto to Kdailey - just read another post if you don't want to read one about a roo looking for a new home - the point i'm trying to make above is that those who are here squaking about these "irresponsible owners" who end up with roos and don't want them aren't blameless - I'm not bashing you all because you will put your chickens in a pot, don't bash me for not wanting to see mine in one - accept that it's the prevailing attitude that chickens belong in pots, so no money is spent trying to find other options for people who don't view them purely as supper to utilize when they want to raise chickens and end up with roos that they can't keep because of current breeding limitations ...

RE: I guess it goes to show you - if you can't keep it yourself, you have no control over the animals fate ... you can if you work to find it a home... again, I'm not ranting about those who think the solution to having a roo is to eat it, just wishing others to respect those who don't think their pets should end up on a table and are looking for some help ...

 

[featherz]

Quote:
This is why I hatched this year - Had a few hatches that were bigger than expected and got a lot of roos. Rehomed some to 'no-kill' homes, rehomed the rest to 'humane stewpot' homes. Worst case, there's always the local livestock auction, where everything sells. People in cities may not have that option.

Ordering chicks can be problematic as the weather is so variable and you are dependent on the whims of the USPS. The boy chicks will be killed in a grinder, the girl chicks could die in a dark box.. I am thinking a nice grass eating life, then that 'one bad day' tops all that.

As I said earlier, I'm a strict vegetarian, so I don't eat my chickens. However, if someone else is already going to eat chicken, I'd rather they eat pastured and humanely killed chicken over those scary abused factory birds. Have to be practical!

 

[Beekissed]

I'm not ranting about those who think the solution to having a roo is to eat it, just wishing others to respect those who don't think their pets should end up on a table and are looking for some help ...

I think you may be missing the point here just a little. We respect all those who don't want their pets to be in a stewpot...we are trying to merely prevent the recurring problem of trying to find an appropriate home for your unwanted pets.

Think before you buy and please remember:

You may not want them later. You may have trouble finding them a home. You may then have trouble insuring it is a home that is skilled in providing safe and healthy care for your previously cherished pet. Considering these problems, do you really think it wise to get the pet in the first place just because you really, really want it? If you decide to then proceed despite these problems, looking for help seems to be like getting the people of BYC to enable your chicken addiction...

This post is about tough love. You created the problem despite many warnings that there may become a problem. You decided to have your own way anyway and create the problem. I know this sounds a little harsh....but...please don't ask us to help you with your self-imposed problem. This thread is supposed to help those who sincerely want to know about raising chickens, the problems therein and how to circumvent those problems to insure you have a great experience.​

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
well.. ya do now! I have my bantams for their broodiness (silkies and cochins mostly)... and yeah we do eat the extra roos!
None of my bantams are pets and honestly.. i don't have the patience for showing

 

[HHandbasket]

I have a rooster I need to rehome, but not because I don't want or need roosters (I love my roosters). I need to rehome him because he's a rotten little cuss that has aggressively matted EVERYTHING in the yard (whether it's old enough to mate or not... whether it's a girl or not) and has caused the deaths of 2 of my flock so far and injuries to a couple of others.

He's a bantam and really isn't worth eating, but he might be okay if he's in an all-bantam flock and is the lead roo or only roo, and especially if all his girls are actually old enough to mate (most of what he tries to mate in this yard, including the ones he has injured, are not really old enough, which I believe has led to so many of these injuries). He's not really a mean rooster, just is young and hormonal and doesn't really have anybody to successfully mate with, so his hormones/instincts get the best of him. He's really pretty sweet and very, very pretty.

This just isn't the right flock for him.

That doesn't make me a bad chickeneer or flock owner... it just means I have a rooster that doesn't fit in with my flock.

I have found someone who has another rooster they're going to trade me for him, though. He will probably do much better in her flock.

 

[PamB]

I offer extra roos on craiglist. I usually get more than one response within the first day and get to chose which person I want to give him to. We just rehomed a roo on CL and the woman happens to live a couple streets away. We drive by and see him freeranging.

All you can do is try your best to find a nice place for them. Sometimes that doesn't happen...and they are someone's dinner. I'm okay with that because I have to be. I know that I cannot keep all the roos I hatch, so I feel it is just a part of chicken breeding.

 

[speckledhen]

I have tried Craigslist and never have been able to give away any birds there. Never get any responses. So, Craigslist is not a sure thing for getting rid of extra birds.