Considering my first attempts at culling roosters

[AnneCanne]

I've been trying. I don't know chicken keepers personally and I've had no takers via various FB groups and Craigslist.

It could just be a bad time of year for rehoming. Everyone who hatched chicks in the spring is trying to unload roosters right now as well. You may have better luck later in the fall when there’s less supply? I had to rehome a rooster last fall, and it took about a month to get any legit interest on Craigslist, but was worth the wait as I’m confident he went to a good home.

 

[casportpony]

So I tried to get rid of my way too many roosters on Facebook and Craigslist. Not a single inquiry.

What section of Craigslist?

 

[Airyaman]

It could just be a bad time of year for rehoming. Everyone who hatched chicks in the spring is trying to unload roosters right now as well. You may have better luck later in the fall when there’s less supply? I had to rehome a rooster last fall, and it took about a month to get any legit interest on Craigslist, but was worth the wait as I’m confident he went to a good home.

Perhaps. And maybe they are a bit too young for some people (12 weeks)? I just know that sooner or later, if they are not rehomed, they will need to be culled. It won't be until they are 16-20 weeks, but that really depends on what their behavior does. Right now this subflock of BAs is 7 cockerels and 2 pullets. They already tend to pick on one of the pullets (I actually think they don't like the way she sounds because they tend to grab her when she makes her honking noises). I've been working on reintegrating the two pullets into another subflock but the other pullets are making it hard. The single cockerel (a BCM) actually seems to like the honking pullet but the pullets chase the two incessantly so they stay to one end of the run by themselves until the others come their way.

 

[Airyaman]

What section of Craigslist?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've been working on reintegrating the two pullets into another subflock but the other pullets are making it hard. The single cockerel (a BCM) actually seems to like the honking pullet but the pullets chase the two incessantly so they stay to one end of the run by themselves until the others come their way.

How big is that run? It is pretty common for younger birds to avoid older birds until the younger start laying. Then they become one happy flock. Do the two have enough room to stay away? I consider it a success as long as no one gets hurt, the joining will happen later. But it can take a fair amount of room for them to stay apart.

 

[Airyaman]

How big is that run? It is pretty common for younger birds to avoid older birds until the younger start laying. Then they become one happy flock. Do the two have enough room to stay away? I consider it a success as long as no one gets hurt, the joining will happen later. But it can take a fair amount of room for them to stay apart.

~10x20. Plenty of room, so most of the time they just hang out in their original configuration of 1 cockerel/5 pullets and the 2 BA pullets in two separate groups. I say "incessantly" but it really does not happen that often.

The BAs are 12 weeks and the others are 14 weeks.

No big serious fights, just some pecking and chasing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds normal to me.