Giving away roosters questions

[BethsFlock]

Hi! I adopted 5 abandoned chicks and 3 turned out to be roosters. One roo is much more tame than the rest, so we'll keep him for now, but the other two are picking on my hens. I had planned to keep them all until they were large enough to eat, but I don't want them hurting my hens (one of the two has a bum leg and we'll probably have to kill her if she doesn't adapt to her outdoor coop), so it looks like they'll have to go sooner.

I don't mind that they'll be eaten and don't insist on a 'pet' type home by any means, but I worry that they'll be mistreated before they're killed. I feel crazy screening people that are willing to take my free roosters, but people can be pretty cruel to roosters around here (southern California) and there is quite a bit of cock fighting around.

Does anyone have any tips for re-homing roosters?

 

[ShellyBear]

You can separate them until they are large enough to eat. You might have two separate the two roosters that are aggressive. You might be able to meat with somebody who wants them and tell them that if they are going to butcher them that you would like it to be humane.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Does anyone have any tips for re-homing roosters?

Do you have any small animal Auctions with-in driving range? I take mine to the Auction----week before last I took about 50, 6/7 week old brought $2 to $3 each. 16 week brought $6 to $8. 1 not so pretty necked neck brought $13----- Had 1 Pretty 1 year old rooster and he brought $15(he was given to me the week before because the guy had to many roosters)---I will take them free All day.

 

[BethsFlock]

Thanks! Those are all good suggestions.

Unfortunately, we only have one coop almost built (these chickens were taken in unexpectedly when they were abandoned by a neighbor with their mother and then their mother was eaten by a coyote.) I might have some supplies to build a second coop, but not a lot of time. I have them in two broaders right now in my son's room and have moved my baby into my room, but I need this space back asap (our house is only 600sf) and the dust they produce is starting to drive my allergies nuts.

You're right though, I can either keep them and build a second coop or express my concerns to whomever takes them and hope they aren't creeps. I've just never given away an animal before and am very nervous about it.

 

[BethsFlock]

I have not thought about small animal auctions. I looked into it and it doesn't look like anything exists in the area. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have not thought about small animal auctions. I looked into it and it doesn't look like anything exists in the area. Thanks for the suggestion!

Did you check auctionZip.Com type in your zip code and search within every how many miles you are willing to travel. Not all Auctions list on any of the site's----just word of mouth-----you can ask on FB or craigslist if anyone knows of one.

 

[Donna R Raybon]

First, free is a poor price! Folks tend to better care for something they have money tied up in.And, second, gamefowl versus your backyard rooster? Your backyard rooster be dead quicker than you could wring his neck. I grew up and live in what used to be gamefowl central and no one would ever pit a gamefowl against anything but another gamefowl.

Yeah, I am one of those people who can not wrap my head around a nation of people who glibly gobble down millions of tons of poultry that is not twelve weeks old and never seen green grass or sunshine, yet condemn cockfighting? Gamefowl are cared for superbly until they pit at better than a year old. And they fight and die or live to fight another day much quicker than poor twelve week old crammed in a crate on a truck at processing plant.

I was blessed to know a few of the old gamefowl families around here. Better, kinder people I have never known. They loved their birds and could trace them back through their families well over a hundred years. East Tennessee is a much poor place without gamefowl folks.

 

[BethsFlock]

Those are all good points, Donna. It seems I hit a nerve with you!

I tried selling them for a couple bucks and had no takers. I agree, though, 'free' gets sketchy. However, $5 is practically free nowadays, so I can't see someone treating something especially well just because they have a couple bucks tied up in them.

I've seen some situations first hand where cockfighting was going on and they definitely were using backyard roosters as bait. I've also seen people keep roosters kept in squalid conditions waiting to be killed, among other things I just don't feel is right. It might not be that way with everyone everywhere, but it's the way it often is around here.

I don't eat factory farmed meat. I was raised on a farm where we raised all our meat or bought from someone local, so I get what you're saying about the horrible conditions in those situations- I don't think that's right either! It's interesting you assumed I did, though. When I eat meat, I know exactly where it comes from and I've spent much of my life just not eating meat at all.

I can't control everything everywhere, but I do have the fate of these little roos in my control and I'd like to make sure they have as happy of a life as possible before they're killed. I'll probably just keep them and do it myself.

 

[Donna R Raybon]

Yes, a nerve. I totally agree about making certain mine have happy life until end. I used to do NPIP testing and saw a few places I would never want to buy or sell to.