buying chicks wen i can't have roosters...bad idea?

[xapikleia]

i'm buying some four w/o bantams from a friend of a friend this week. we can't have roosters here (actually, we can't legally have chickens at all, but we're joining the illegal chicken revolution; we just don't want to push it with roosters!), so i'll have to sell them if any turn out to be roosters. should it be easy for me to find them homes? should i consider buying some older chickens instead?

 

[Mahonri]

When you buy an older chicken, you run less risk getting a roo if you know how to sex chickens.

If you get a roo, you can usually Craigslist it away for free. Folks like free stuff.

 

[Wifezilla]

Or learn to make roo soup

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Both of these answers are very good ideas!

 

[LeeLeesFarm]

_____________

I'm near the San Fernando Valley, CA .... in a suburb which does not allow any poultry.

I just went thru your current dilemma last summer.

I wanted frizzles, so went ahead and bought 12 baby chicks, so that SOME would be girls.


I just waited until they got older, then when I could tell which were roos, I gave those away free.

Some I gave to a local pet store in Sylmar CA.
Some went to a person on this list.

I tried to sell them first, on Craigs List, but no luck.....and I didn't have the patience to try longer than one week .... i was ready to be rid of the little buggers ... they were the meanest of the bunch....so off they went for free.


....... Here's something to consider about buying older hens ...........

Why is the person getting rid of them in the first place?
I bought a 6 mos old d'uccle last year as well, and hated her.

She truly CROWED and was the fussiest and loudest hen I've ever met.

I kept her for about 2 weeks, only because my hubby LOVED her coloring and didn't want her to go.

but that crowing was going to get us into BIG trouble with the city, and I didn't want the city to come barging in and see my 12 little baby chicks, so I sold the crowing girl thru craigslist for $15.


I've raised my babies myself, which means they know me now, they know our routine and are happy with it, they are super quiet and content and love being handled, etc.

I would never buy a hen past 1 mos old, after that d'uccle experience ....

there's my .05 cents

Lee

_________________

 

[seminolewind]

I can take my surplus roos to the feedstore. Or if you sell them, try to ask a price that is more than what a person would pay for a roaster.
The only way of getting all girls is order sexed chicks.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
That may not be such an issue with bantams

Just price them more than a boullion cube? <g>

Pat

 

[PotterWatch]

Have you considered buying standard size sex-links? The bigger size might be worth knowing that you won't have to deal with roosters.

 

[SeramaSweetie]

If you REALLY wanna have roos and fertilized eggs, it is possible to get your roo's "crow" "removed." They can remove the whatever it is that makes them crow, and they won't make a sound. But it'll probably cost you a little bit and it will most likely be hard to find somebody to do it.....

 

[xapikleia]

Quote:
I've thought of this as a possible solution, and I totally thought that it was something I'd be capable of. Then I saw the killing, plucking, etc. thread in Meat Birds ETC, and I'm not sure that I'm ready for that yet! One day, I want to be at that point, but I'm soooo not there yet!