Hatching - what about the males?

[zebraffe4231]

Hello fellow flock owners! I just lost 3/5 of my hens to a fox and I still have my rooster. But, two hens is far too few to have with a rooster. The poor girls will be worn out from mating! I am trying to adopt some ex battery hens but if it doesn't work out I think I am going to hatch some eggs from the girls who were just killed. The only problem is I already have a rooster and adding more would certainly be a disaster. So what do you do with the chicks that are males?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Sell them, eat them, ect! :3

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Some people sell/give them away, some eat them. Some probably add another coop/flock! I feel bad for roosters, as my two roosters are my favorite of the the birds! When I ended up with a cockerel instead of a pullet I kept him, and he is doing fine. They (this new barred rock and my original japanese bantam) argue over who gets which girls, which is ridiculous because the barred rock is way too big for the bantams, and the japanese is way too small for the standards, but they work it out. I think they secretly like each other because I picked up the barred rock the other day and he protested and the japanese heard and came bowing up on me to help him. Two roosters is not necessarily terrible as long as they don't fight. I look at it as twice the oversight for the flock.

 

[zebraffe4231]

Thanks! My rooster was sexed as a pullet but it turned out otherwise. I kept him but he is very aggressive and i do not think another rooster would be good for him or his huge ego haha

 

[CascadiaRiver]

If hes aggressive I suggest maybe not keeping him then XD Hand raise one of the chicks :3

 

[SunHwaKwon]

^ That is a good option, plus then you don't have to worry about dad mating with his kids, although you will likely have brother and sister action but it only becomes an issue after so many generations either way, I suppose.