i met my neighbors today and turns out they have some chickens. well actually since moving to my new house, lots of the neighbors have chickens,but thats another story!! anyway we get to talking and she tells me her dh just brought them home a few weeks ago to butcher. so i ask about the BR roo and she says to come back and her dh will probably let me have him! is there anyway to tell about how old he is? the hens he is penned up with look terrible,missing toes,featherless spots and it looks like they've been debeaked,one is very swollen around her bottom. they lady says they are old,so the people they got them from just got new chickens and they just didnt want the roo and he "isnt to old" i only have 6 hens and i dont want him tearing them all up,is 6 enough to keep a guy happy? my chickens get to free range most of the day. also what about keeping him seperate? how long? how far should i keep him from the girls? any other rooster advice?
