Ethical Issues With Roosters

[Oblio13]

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I read up on caponizing and even practiced on a couple already-dead cockerels. I'm not a sentimentalist about chickens, but I decided that it just wasn't in me to do that to a live bird. I've been told that they'll just lay there in no apparent pain during the procedure. I don't see how that can be, but perhaps there's something to it - I recently stitched up a hen after a dog attack, and she sat quietly for it.

There are a couple women around here who keep chickens and are squeamish about killing them. Every year they try to keep too many roosters, and every year they eventually call me in a panic to come and get some of them because they're fighting and bloody.

 

[tiki244]

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I agree with sparrow

 

[tiki244]

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This has been my experience with roosters in the spring

 

[greyfields]

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Good question; I'm not sure. Perhaps a member who has some experience with caponizing can answer that.

You certainly can find kits and do it. Just be aware that caponization is invasive surgery. The testciles are internal and it surely causing them pain, potential infection and possible death. There really is no point to caponization in these days, where broilers grow larger, quicker and have a better body shape then a capon ever did.

 

[greyfields]

When roosters are adolescents and learning to mate the hens, they are very awkward, uncoordinated and rough. Once they find their rhythm, though, they are quicker and are farm more gentle on the girls. The first few weeks, though, they'll be trying to mate their heads, pulling out feathers left and right and generally look like they're killing the hens. They outgrow that, though.

As someone described chicken mating to me:

It's short and not sweet.

 

[tiki244]

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well I hope my LITTLE Serama hurrys up anf outgrows this stage. He is with 2 yr old D Uccles now and they are taking a beating. Maybe I should upgrade him to the more aggressive cochins, but I need to find a balance, so he isnt ETS: emotionally harmed for life. Because I would like to use him for breeding

 

[augiedranch]

i have three roosters and 12 hens. the hens are fine and the roosters dont fight. i couldnt get rid of mine.. i was too attached to them. i have a bachelor pad, where i put one of them to alternate every week or so. i wish u luck with ur cuties.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

If these roosters are almost ready for eating, they are too old to be caponized. Caponization needs to be done at 12 weeks at the latest. I could be wrong, but I believe that is what I read.

-Kim

 

[max13077]

I was just wondering if caponizing them was an option to make them less frisky. If not, I would never endanger them. They're 8 weeks now and I'll likely be looking for someone to give them away to. I haven't totally made up my mind, but that's the way I'm leaning.

 

[seminolewind]

A bachelor pad sounds great and all you have to do is build another coop!