Hormonal feminization of a cockerel

[Beekissed]

I was thinking along those lines myself...a feminine roo would just be a hen, wouldn't it? So, just cut to the chase and just keep hens. If you manage to decrease his testosterone levels so he won't crow, he won't be breeding either, so what in the world is the point to the experiment? I say just leave him alone and let him wear dresses if he wants but giving meds to alter his natural state seems a bit much.

 

[speckledhen]

 

[FireTigeris]

Naw if it's not something that can be given as an oral treat it's not worth my time or effort.

 

[deedletree]

In terms of pain involved in the injection, I'm using the same ultra-fine insulin needles my daughter uses multiple times per day, and only every other week. The cockerel didn't seem to notice this.

I definitely don't plan to let him into the food stream, but the FDA has approved the use of estradiol for caponizing meat birds.

My plan is to let him live when he otherwise wouldn't get to, and in the course of that, to gather information for others who have cockerels they want to keep.

But back to my original question: has anyone else done this?

 

[deedletree]

I should add, the little cockerel was exposed to an illness, so I'm not willing to re-home him to another flock. Also, I'm not allowed roos. So if he crows, i will have to cull him.

 

[RedDrgn]

I have never done this, nor heard of it being done. I am interested in how this may go, though.

I don't know that I'd be able to cull a bird just because he was a rooster (even though we're allowed roosters where we are), and re-homing one somewhere where someone won't eat them can be very difficult. I don't see how this is any worse than caponizing (though capons do still tend to crow). Interesting...

 

[FireTigeris]

Well maybe-

I see

Well back to 'let us know'

 

[deedletree]

We're five weeks in now. The bird (Carrot, who by the way has a Facebook page "Carrot") is just over four months old.

Thought I'd post some pics. . .

 

[Beekissed]

Any crowing yet?

 

[deedletree]

Nope. When the next dose gets close, he's been attempting to cover my Polish bantams, though. I may have to separate him. First I'm going to try making the doses more frequent, though.