Can you rent a rooster?

[Stedman]

I will be having 5 hens this spring and was just curious if you can rent a rooster to fertilize some eggs? I don't want a rooster but didn't know if that was even something people do or how you would go about it

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Place an ad in craigslist. The problem is biosecurity. It's one thing to screen the setup/bird/people prior to getting a bird your going to toss in with your flock but to ask them to screen you/bird/setup prior to "renting" a stud is asking a lot. You'd be better off finding a free or cheap rooster you like on craigslist, there are a lot of them, using him to mate the birds then make soup once you get chicks to hatch.

 

[lazy gardener]

I will be having 5 hens this spring and was just curious if you can rent a rooster to fertilize some eggs? I don't want a rooster but didn't know if that was even something people do or how you would go about it

There is risk to your flock when you bring any adult bird in from an other source. And once an adult bird has been with your flock, I'm fairly confident that the previous owner would not be willing to take him back, again due to biosecurity. Even if I could find a temp. roo. that's not something I'd ever consider for the bio risk, as well as the difficulty with integration. You'd be better off going to a local farmer and buying some fertile eggs to set.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The problem of what to do with the males still exists. If the OP doesn't want roosters then setting eggs is not in best interest as half of them need to be rehomed or eaten. I personally have no problems bringing in adult birds and myself sell birds on Craigslist. Be cautious and educated about it and if any bad vibe back out of the deal right then and there. Of course we are NPIP now so no longer bring in outside birds but certainly sell them.

 

[lazy gardener]

The problem of what to do with the males still exists. If the OP doesn't want roosters then setting eggs is not in best interest as half of them need to be rehomed or eaten. I personally have no problems bringing in adult birds and myself sell birds on Craigslist. Be cautious and educated about it and if any bad vibe back out of the deal right then and there. Of course we are NPIP now so no longer bring in outside birds but certainly sell them.

Excellent point. If one doesn't want a roo enough to keep him full time, then hatching chicks is really questionable, since statistically, at least 50% of those chicks are gonna be roos.

 

[aart]

Quote: Exactly!

 

[Folly's place]

x3! Mary