First Negative Day with my Flock.

[Ted Brown]

I went to the coop this morning, everyone outside in the run below. Lestor (lone cockerel) is first to come in, looks at me, turns around to the pop door, stamps his right foot (ok maybe a bit of a scratch) to call the girls in.

They think I have a treat but really only there to pickup the drop board.

Hilarious. All is good (and ordered) in the House of Lestor!

 

[Cathy Roberts]

I understand how you feel. We had 5 roosters and only 1 hen and we were afraid they would kill her. Now there is just her and 1 male companion.

 

[jspeese]

I don't dress birds anymore either, but cockerels are definitely an issue to consider if you get straight-run chicks or hatch your own. As they get older they fight, are rough on the hens, and consume feed without producing anything in return, unless you do slaughter them. Perhaps I've been soiled by the modern broiler industry, but there's not much meat on a cockerel anyway compared to a broiler. Even a heavy breed is mostly bone compared to a broiler. Building a bachelor pad is an option, but that means the extra expense in construction, having the necessary space to do it in the first place, feeding them, etc. You've got to draw a limit somewhere. If I build another coop, it will be a brooder coop for replacement hens. I trade hens that are no longer productive to our feed store in exchange for feed.

 

[Carole McKelvey]

I'm just so thankful I can't have roosters in the city. I'd hate to have to make that choice. But good luck to you.