Can roosters be pimped out? or...Rented?

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

I have researched for 2 years on and off about urban chicken keeping. I am excited to say that today we are going to pick up our first 6 chicks. We plan on keeping 3 hen's but are buying 6 in hopes of having hen's. Our's are not vaccinated and will be bought at our local farm supply store. But my question does not pertain to these chicks. Rather future one's. While researching all the fascinating details about chicken keeping in the city I began to think, what if I want to breed one of my girls? But I don't want a rooster... could I effectively "borrow" a rooster and mate him with 1 female thus giving me 1 breeding female? In essence I'm asking if I can pay for a male rooster to prostitute himself and then get the heck outta dodge.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

In theory, you COULD...whether or not you SHOULD is a different story...especially since your chicks are not vaccinated (though there are lots of chicken diseases they don't routinely vaccinate for anyway)...you are opening yourself up to your girls being exposed to all sorts of diseases. Even if the rooster you choose doesn't show any outward signs of illness, he could have been exposed at some point, and therefore be a carrier of all sorts of horrible diseases that could wipe out your entire flock very quickly. I strongly advise against it. If one of your girls goes broody, you could always buy her some hatching eggs to set on instead...

AND,

 

[LarryPQ]

You can also artificially inseminate hens...you'll have to search that one on you own. I am still disturbed. But, it is easier just to buy chicks.

 

[ranchhand]

You're biggest risk with that is introducing disease to your flock. Some chickens are carriers and can infect a whole flock even though they seem healthy. The other problem I see is the time needed for introductions. It can take a while for hens to accept a roo.

I don't recommend it.

 

[mkwags]

If I lived by you I would mind "sharing" my roo. I would guess others would feel the same, but ? I have found chicken keepers are generally cool people.

I know the farm store that I go to guarantees there chicks to be pullets... meaning you wouldn't need to get extra chicks "just in case".

 

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

That's what I was afraid of, er go the inquiry here. Better to ask a question and be wrong than not ask and make a mistake right?

 

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

We debated the pullet's option, in the end we have our reason's for wanting to take on the extra work of chicks. I have thought seriously about only buying 3 or 4 chicks and taking the chance, but all in all we value the feeling of family between our furry and feathered friend's and would like to foster a sense of trust and a good relationship fright off the bat. We also want our 6 yo to enjoy the experience.

 

[AnnainMD]

I think what mkwags meant was that when you buy chicks at the feed store, they offer "sexed" and "straight run" options. The sexed ones would give you chicks that would, eventually, become pullets. Not that they sell ready to lay pullets but chicks that grow into pullets. You can get sexed chicks with a 90% chance that they will be girls. The other option is to get the sex-linked breeds that way they can be sexed by their color after hatching.
We actually got 12 chickens with the goal of having 8 girls. The remainder will either be eaten, sold or given away.

 

[LarryPQ]

Mrs. Green Thumbs :

We debated the pullet's option, in the end we have our reason's for wanting to take on the extra work of chicks. I have thought seriously about only buying 3 or 4 chicks and taking the chance, but all in all we value the feeling of family between our furry and feathered friend's and would like to foster a sense of trust and a good relationship fright off the bat. We also want our 6 yo to enjoy the experience.

When it is time to increase the flock, keep an eye maybe one of your hens will go broody. You can slip the chicks under her, and not worry about the hatching process--as new broodies are (generally) terrible at it. Then your child gets to experince the cuteness of the momma hen and babies.​

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Or you could buy fertile eggs from someone else and put them under a hen (or in an incubator). Hatching is LOADS of fun and is completely addictive.