Help! I think I brought home some roosters

[Beau plus penny]

No idea what kind of bard yard mix breed I have now but they are remarkably friendly. I almost don't want to slaughter them because they have been such good pets. Back in college when I worked on the university dairy farm we had a couple of roosters that were the meanest things on the farm.

yea i think it depends on how to roosters where treated when they were young i fidn that ones treated well typically are nice but theres always differet personalities for each bird

 

[MarcR]

This unfortunately. Where did you get them?

Funny you ask. I was driving around a rural part of south east Louisiana looking for easy access to some sandy river bottoms. I saw a sign on the side of the road that said "chicks and pullets for sale" so I called the number. Nice elderly couple. $8/each!

I knew there was a chance I'd get some roosters. I'm new to keeping pet chickens so this is a good little lesson for myself and the kiddos.

We have a small poultry farm about 50 miles east that has 12 month hens for sale. I'll probably go get 5 more from that farm if I can't find some chicks. My kids BJJ coach said he will take the pretty black and copper rooster but the others might end up in the freezer.

 

[Beau plus penny]

Funny you ask. I was driving around a rural part of south east Louisiana looking for easy access to some sandy river bottoms. I saw a sign on the side of the road that said "chicks and pullets for sale" so I called the number. Nice elderly couple. $8/each!

I knew there was a chance I'd get some roosters. I'm new to keeping pet chickens so this is a good little lesson for myself and the kiddos.

We have a small poultry farm about 50 miles east that has 12 month hens for sale. I'll probably go get 5 more from that farm if I can't find some chicks. My kids BJJ coach said he will take the pretty black and copper rooster but the others might end up in the freezer.

theres nothign wrong with friendly rooster they just wont lay eggs

 

[MarcR]

theres nothign wrong with friendly rooster they just wont lay eggs

My wife wants to try to hang onto the pretty copper/black one. He's real sweet. We will see what happens when he starts crowing.

 

[angc11]

Funny you ask. I was driving around a rural part of south east Louisiana looking for easy access to some sandy river bottoms. I saw a sign on the side of the road that said "chicks and pullets for sale" so I called the number. Nice elderly couple. $8/each!

I knew there was a chance I'd get some roosters. I'm new to keeping pet chickens so this is a good little lesson for myself and the kiddos.

We have a small poultry farm about 50 miles east that has 12 month hens for sale. I'll probably go get 5 more from that farm if I can't find some chicks. My kids BJJ coach said he will take the pretty black and copper rooster but the others might end up in the freezer.

Did you pick out the 5 or did they pick them out for you?! Either way, I find it unethical of them to let you unknowingly take 4 roosters (even though $8 for a pullet is very cheap haha). Maybe they didn't know themselves, but that seems unlikely for how cheap they were selling them.

Well anyway, if you ever find yourself wanting to buy older pullets again, here are the 5 things I always look for when trying to determine whether it's a pullet or cockerel. Hopefully this helps! The cockerel I picked of yours has all 5 obvious signs. Some cockerels do not have all 5 (it depends on the breed and how fast the cockerel develops) and some breeds (like certain colored easter eggers or silkies) can be really tricky to tell when they are young. In my opinion, when they are 6 - 16 weeks old the large red comb is the best indicator it's a cockerel and the other signs can help confirm.

 

[kattabelly]

My kids BJJ coach said he will take the pretty black and copper rooster

Oh hey, another BJJ person / parent of a BJJ person!

 

[MarcR]

Oh hey, another BJJ person / parent of a BJJ person!

Dr. Pressure