Help me convince DH to keep a roo

[Ninjasquirrel]

Am guessing the DH may well be concerned with the hatching addiction

He didnt say so but that is a possibility! Although he loved hatching just as much as I did.

 

[3KillerBs]

The DH might prefer some other breed for the rooster, so maybe ask him which breed he would like the next hatching eggs to be. Acquire the eggs, hatch them and let him choose one of the cockerels to stay.

This is a good idea. I involved my family in the choice of this year's breed order.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

This is a good idea. I involved my family in the choice of this year's breed order.

I think Murray Mcmurray you can only order 25 at a minimum. We dont have the room for that. And TSC I think you have to order at least 15 and buy at least 5 in store live

 

[3KillerBs]

I think Murray Mcmurray you can only order 25 at a minimum. We dont have the room for that. And TSC I think you have to order at least 15 and buy at least 5 in store live

Ideal's minimum is a dollar amount rather than number of birds.

 

[Isadora]

For me its Dear Husband. But I realize for some its different. We're newly married so he's still a dear

Mine is a dear, and in October we'll have been married for 7 years.

 

[Tclloyd0812]

I think Murray Mcmurray you can only order 25 at a minimum. We dont have the room for that. And TSC I think you have to order at least 15 and buy at least 5 in store live

The best hatchery we have used so far was Meyers, and it's like Ideal Poultry I believe with the dollar amount vs the chick number, though I could be wrong. But either hatchery would work or you could buy from a local breeder that has a specific breed you are wanting.

Ideal's minimum is a dollar amount rather

Yes, Ideal Poultry has some great deals right now on their chicks too! Very tempting, lol!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

The best hatchery we have used so far was Meyers, and it's like Ideal Poultry I believe with the dollar amount vs the chick number, though I could be wrong. But either hatchery would work or you could buy from a local breeder that has a specific breed you are wanting.

Yes, Ideal Poultry has some great deals right now on their chicks too! Very tempting, lol!

We've never used a hatchery so I'll have to look into those two. Either way these are all good ideas to tell the Hubby. If you guys have stories of a roo being awesome and sweet that might help too. He seems convinced that all roos are mean and doesnt believe me when I say boys may be boys but not all boys are jerks

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I used all your suggestions and it seemed like he was onboard... until he saw one of our girls feather wings. They are sore, red, and the shafts are gone. I informed him she could be being pecked on by the other girls too but he's still hesitant. Sonic didnt make it into the coop tonight. The hens were picking on him. What can I put on my girls feather wings to ease the irritation?

 

[NatJ]

I think Murray Mcmurray you can only order 25 at a minimum. We dont have the room for that. And TSC I think you have to order at least 15 and buy at least 5 in store live

McMurray lets you order as few as 6, if they ship after April 1 and before October 31 (during the colder months, the minimum is 15.)
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/6minimum.html

Cackle will ship as few as 3 chicks.
https://www.cacklehatchery.com/faqs/
(It's about 1/3 of the way down the page, or have your computer search for "minimum" on that page.)

Meyer will ship 3 or 8, depending on the month.
https://www.meyerhatchery.com/pages/shipping-payment

Ideal's minimum is $30, whatever number of chicks that is (different number depending on whether you choose expensive chicks or cheap ones.)
https://www.idealpoultry.com/faqs

Also, if you are already willing to raise chickens & butcher them, you have a way to deal with extras-- just raise them for a bit and butcher them. You can butcher them at a fairly small size to make more room in the pen for the rest to keep growing. Some people butcher quail, and sometimes I butcher quail-sized young chickens

 

[NatJ]

If you want a rooster to only breed then maybe you should not leave him unattended with the others. This is a new one if I understood the context, therefore why would your rooster be seriously injuring the hens? Are they kept only in a coop or what could cause that?

It is normal to keep a rooster in the same pen with the hens all the time. (With large mammals like horses or dairy cattle, it is common to keep the male separate from the females most of the time. That is not the most common way to manage chickens, although of course someone can do that if they want.)

When the rooster mates with a hen, he stands on her back. Sometimes the rooster is clumsy and his feet break a few of the hen's feathers. If he breaks a few feathers each time, and this happens many times, the hen can develop bare spots on her back and parts of her wings. The next time the hen molts, the broken feathers will fall out and new ones will grow, but that usually happens just one time each year (in the fall.)

There are many roosters who do not cause bare backs on hens, but there are some who do.