Advice Please! Young Rooster, possibly looking to Caponize in SE PA, but don't know where!

[CreeksideChik]

Hi flock friends! I've had my own backyard flock for several years now, and just purchased a few Black Australorp pullets to add to my flock. They just turned 8 weeks old, & unfortunately, I've discovered one is a roo. He is quite docile now, but I tried to keep a roo from my first batch of chicks...he was my pet, but after getting a little older than a year, he became unmanageable & had to be rehomed. I've been doing a LOT of reading, and am trying to find someone who caponizes (neuters) roosters in Southeastern PA...does anyone know of any body? I would like to be able to keep my roo, but without the roo behavior! My flock is in a coop with completely fenced in run (roof and all...we have foxes & hawks here), and I will not even consider keeping him in with my existing flock unless he is caponized--I have no issue paying for the procedure, I'm just trying to take responsibility for someone else's sorting error (it's not his fault for being a boy!).

If I am unable to find someone to caponize him, I'm considering keeping him in his own seperate run-- has anyone ever tried this, and does keeping a roo seperate from hens temper his behavior at all, since he has no one to protect? And also, do any of you had any issues with keeping a bird on 'solitary ' during winter months? In PA, it can get seasonably cold, so I keep a heat lamp on for my flock of 'ladies', but if I kept my roo separate, I couldn't run a 2nd light for him, and he would have no one to snuggle with for warmth, and I'm not sure if that would be a problem. I know most folks would just 'get rid of the roo', but again, trying to look for options for him and be responsible about it...

 

[TofuKat]

I don't know about keeping him in solitary and how that would work out...

However, I'd give Dr Terry McGrath in West Chester a call. He is the local "exotics" vet (who actually really knows his stuff). His practice is called Rocky Hill Vet. 610-431-1620 I'm not affiliated with him, just been a client for about 16 years now (guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, parakeet, etc who I took in).

Otherwise, about 20 years ago we took our "hen" who started crowing out to some old timer in York. bleh. If I'd had known I would have called Dr McGrath first, but that was back before I knew about him.

Good luck!