Flock management - rooster giveaway

[ashcons]

Hi guys,

I know rooster removal comes up quite often and some people have posted to Craigslist, here, or other sources in order to rehome birds or just leave the job of butchering to someone else. My wife and I recently purchased several straight run chicks. We have 2 blue-laced red Wyandottes, 1 blue Ameraucana, 1 EE, and 3 lavender Orpington chicks - all between 1 and 2.5 weeks old at this point. We will only be able to keep the pullets due to city ordinance. Since this is our first batch of birds and my wife's first experience in raising livestock animals, I don't think she would take kindly to the idea of me butchering any birds - I tried to discourage her from naming them, but she couldn't help herself . Since our birds are eggers/dual purpose and not all exactly common coloring, I would be happiest giving any roosters away locally to people who would utilize them for breeding first before giving them away or selling them for butchering.

In your experience, have you been successful with Craigslist or another method and have you given them away or sold cockerels as meat birds ready to butcher just to recoup a little of the cost of the birds?

Thank you for your advice / experience.

If anyone is in the Northwest Arkansas area, BYC users would definitely have first dibs on any (free) boys that show up once these get older. I will post some pictures once they start getting in more feathers.

 

[Angiebubs]

I have been very fortunate so far-had to re home 3 barred rocks (had a lot of response to those) and the following year ended up with 3 Lavender orpingtons. I re homed one and so far have the other two (Am thinking of trying to find a home for one or the other-both very sweet to me but not getting along). Now, I have 4 chicks that were suppossed to be sexed pullets but am getting nervous as a couple are showing male traits. I posted on craiglist and made it very clear that these were going to be used as flock protection or breeding only. On my Lav Orps I asked $10 (never bothered to cash their check) and found one a lovely home and made a friend from it as well! The BRs I asked $5 ea as that was more standard for the breed but emailed back n forth for awhile before having them pick them up-to make sure they werre good homes. Good luck!

 

[ashcons]

Angie,

Thanks for the reply - so you used the pricing to help ensure that they were going to someone who wanted them for something other than dinner? That's a good idea! Did you use Craigslist or something else to get the information out there?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Blue Orps are rare birds, so the $10 asked was MORE than fair.

For "regular" birds, you can try asking $5 on Craigslist, but you might not get it. We start them at $5 and sell the prettiest. Whats's left, we give away for free, or take them to auction. We usually get $2-$3 each at the livestock auction (cows, pigs, goats and chickens).

We also butcher them if we've pulled the cockerels out of the pen early and switched them to high-protein feed. Otherwise, we get them gone as soon as we can sex them. Why pay to feed a bird that you can't keep? It costs approximately $14 for us to buy a chick and get them to point of lay, with most of the feed costs coming as the birds get older. The sooner we cull the cockerels, the better for our bottom line.

However--I don't really worry about what people are going to do with the cockerels.

I did refuse to sell to a man that had a racist email signature line, but other than that, come and get them!

Also--if you have nice birds, especially breeder-quality birds, you can try here on BYC. Two of my three roosters are nice, breeder quality birds and were given to me free from a BYCer.

 

[ashcons]

Oh yeah I didn't think of auctions. There's one that runs on the weekends not too far from us. Once we know what we have, I think I will just try to give them away here on BYC (with pictures) then try CL and then possibly the auction. If I go to the auction with my wife, we may come home with more animals than we had leaving the house, though.

I guess she'll just have to imagine that any of her named roos will leave here for a happy life in the countryside. Especially if Rauxy the Ameraucana ends up being a he.

 

[Angiebubs]

actually my orp wasnt blue they were true lavenders lil more rare but there are a few breeders around here

yes i posted on craigslist under farm n garden with pictures

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

actually my orp wasnt blue they were true lavenders lil more rare but there are a few breeders around here

yes i posted on craigslist under farm n garden with pictures

Sorry, I got the wrong color when I was typing the response. With true lavenders, I'd think you could charge more than $10. Around me, there are NO breeders.

 

[lilchick]

I actually end up keeping my roosters and even take a few that people do not want... They usually roost in extra barn and sometimes in the turkey barn.
They have the run of the place and live a pretty good life. Occasional squabble but no one gets hurt. Guess I could name my place the Triple R. rooster retirement ranch!

 

[Angiebubs]

lilchick: I sure wish I could do that with mine! Problem is, there are so many predators around (including our dog) that it wouldn't be fair. My coop is currently like fort knox-netting over top etc. and when I let them out to free range we make sure someone is out there with them (gardening, mowing, etc)

Walking on sunshine-wish I could get one of my current roos over your way-One split to lav (both parents were lav) and a lav roo. Both are supser sweet, I carry them around regularly, and have shown zero agression towards me. However, they dont want to share the 20 girls and the Lav roo is constantly hiding from the other or getting attacked. Its sad! I keep hoping that with the weather warming up/more free ranging they will get along once again. These boys are 1 yr old and raised together but hormones messed things up.

 

[moetrout]

I have eaten one of mine and probably given 6-8 away on CL. The quickest way to get rid of them is to advertise that you do not care if they are for someone's flock or their dinner table. It only takes me a day or two most times to get rid of them. If you care if they are eaten then yes charge a nominal fee. People looking for a free chicken dinner will then go to ads like mine that much quicker (and that helps me!). If it bothers you that someone might eat them, but you still want them gone fast, just put in your ad that you want them gone and do not want to know what their plan is for them. I see ads like that a lot too.