Chicken newb from Austin, TX.

[Alkonost]

Hi all,

I've never had chickens before, but have had parrots my whole life and work with them professionally in multiple ways. Over the past few months, I've developed an interest in perhaps keeping a few chickens for pets and egg production. I was planning on doing so some time after October, when my roommate moves out and I take over the lease, so I thought I had plenty of time to do my research and get ready for this new kind of bird ownership. However, I was kind of thrown into it unexpectedly when a client of mine gave me a chicken that had shown up on her property and was being bullied/attacked by her chickens a couple of weeks ago. I was really excited about getting a chicken and did a little research, got some advice from the local feed store, and was doing pretty well. The chicken, who was severely underweight and had poor feather quality, has been slowly gaining weight, dropping out old feathers and growing in shiny new ones, and has been generally happy and sweet and endearing. Unfortunately - and this totally shows how little I know about chickens - I have figured out recently that this chicken is NOT a hen, but a rooster! It became glaringly obvious when the quiet and timid little crow-like noises he'd been making matured over the past couple of days into a full-blown COCKADOODLEDOO, which he has been doing pretty much all day today. This sadly means that I cannot keep the little guy, as it is illegal to keep roosters within Austin city limits.

SOOO... now I need to find a home for this sweet little guy (would love suggestions on how to go about doing so). I'm going to miss him a lot, as I had gotten really attached to this little toot, but in a way it's a good thing because now I can do more research and be a little better prepared before I get my *actual* hens.

Anyway, that's why I'm here! To learn how to rehome the rooster and become better prepared to bring home some hens! I look forward to gleaning all of your knowledge and insight!

 

[easttxchick]

from East Texas!

 

[Ironmaiden]

Welcome from a fellow newbie!

 

[Soaring Chicks]

from West Vrginia

 

[shesaredroan]

I'd suggest talking to your feed store. Sometimes there's a local person who will buy or take off your hands any unneeded roos. If you find such a person, keep the phone number. Unneeded roos will be an issue you will have to deal with as long as you have chickens, unless you only get older chicks, so you'll know the sex, (I call them henletts) or hens.
For 10 years I've been getting my 2-3 day old chicks from my feed store. I always get chicks that have been sexed and are labeled PULLETS. In the first few years I was amazing how some of those baby pullets transformed into roosters. Feed store explained that sometimes the chicken sexing experts make mistakes....can't be helped. So now I'm not surprised when one of the henletts starts practicing 'her' crow.

* Try looking at the flea markets in your area, we have a Sat morning Flea Market, sometimes chicken folks are there to buy/sell/trade.
* My feed store lets people post notices, your's might also.
* Might try your Thrifty Nickel paper

Good luck roo rehoming.

 

[Tigerjane]

Hi there! I'm in Pflugerville. I'm interested what responses you'll get, as I'm also going to need to get rid of some in the next few months (once it becomes appearent who's a rooster). Try posting this on the Texas thread, there's a number of people from central Texas on there that may help you out.

 

[Alkonost]

Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately, my little roolet got out of his enclosure a few days ago, somehow got into the backyard (which is surrounded by a very secure 8 ft privacy fence---and yes, he was clipped), and my roommate's dogs killed and ate him. So, I don't need to find a home for him now, but I do need to find a home for all his feed (almost 8 lbs left), mealworms, feeders, and an almost-full bottle of Wazine. Any takers?