Best way to get rid of extra roosters :( Don't want to, but have to...

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

We have too many roosters to hens and I need to get rid of most of mine, 2 lavenders (I really wish I could keep the one, my favorite bc he follows me everywhere but my old man is running him off) and a few Lemon Cuckoo Roo's...BIG, Beautiful boys! All very social and sweet but not getting hormonal and just not enough girls for them to be happy

I listed them on here and have tried craigslist, I REally didn't want to just say FREE bc there just too pretty to be meat birds...ugh, I don't normally get attached at all. Until now. Any other suggestions? Thanks...

I have to get rid of two mix breed (one looks almost full EE), two lavenders, and I think 3 lemon cuckoos.

 

[TheChips]

i had a similar problem. Out of the 5 chicks I adopted, 4 were roosters.

Have you tried local petting zoos in your area? Sometimes they take unwanted farm animals. I have one in my area that sometimes will foster all sorts of animals. Its worth a shot.

And good luck. I know how you feel. I am really attached to my 3 isa browns, they are my babies

 

[bobbi-j]

Unfortunately, roosters are hard to get rid of. Do you have a feed store in your area? You could post them for sale for a couple of bucks each - just remember that once they leave, they are no longer yours so don't ask what their future will be if the idea of them ending up in someone's crockpot bothers you. You can try your local paper. We eat our extra roosters. It just doesn't make sense to me to raise them, feed them, and then give them away or sell them for little or nothing to someone else.

 

[Going Quackers]

Unfortunately, roosters are hard to get rid of. Do you have a feed store in your area? You could post them for sale for a couple of bucks each - just remember that once they leave, they are no longer yours so don't ask what their future will be if the idea of them ending up in someone's crockpot bothers you. You can try your local paper.

I agree, i wouldn't give them away a nominal fee since you have put money in but it's a common problem, which makes them more difficult to sell.

 

[enola]

Just remember the longer you keep them and feed them, the more money you have spent on them.....

Maybe you could find a 4H group that needs some roosters for the kids to keep for showing since your roosters are not the ordinary run of the mill type.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are a lot of drop-dead gorgeous roosters out there, either purebred or mixed breeds. Half the chicks hatched are roosters. I had a mixed breed rooster last year, black and yellow, that was outstanding in many ways, behavior, appearance, all that, but all but one had to go and he was selected. I raise them for meat but I never enjoy the killing part. That one was especially hard but I do what I need to do.

You’ve had some good suggestions. Once you let them go, you have no control over what happens to them. You need to accept that. Look at how you worded the Craigslist ad. Did you put too many restrictions in that? That may be why you didn’t get any responses.

The ad at the fed store is a good idea, but also just chat with a few people working there. They may know someone that will take them.

Another thought is to find your state thread in the “Where am I? Where are you!” section on here and post on there. Post photos. You might find someone local that would want them for breeding. Some of those are pretty rare.

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Thanks everyone...I have gotten rid of many before these that I blissfully just try to make myself aware there going to the best home ever (yes, I pretend...it's worked until now lol) These are harder I guess bc there all nice...before the ones usually showed attitude and were brats so made it easier! As weird as it is too...we hunt and fish but we don't raise our chickens for meat nor do we really care that were losing money off them. Heck, we only have 18 now and started with 5. I say I'm doing pretty good.

Going to look into a few feed stores and 4H clubs Maybe, I was actually pretty simple on the craigslist ad. Said that I had a price bc I wanted them to go to a good home but that was it. We will see, I appreciate the help and ideas though!

 

[Going Quackers]

State that they are of good personality! some do look for that and it's an advantage for sure. I hope you can find good home for them. We only have banty roos here which i can keep but it's a frustrating side effect of the old straight run.