How to cull a rooster when you don't want too?

[atechieboss]

I run a "no kill" small farm. Two years ago I had way too many roosters so I asked around until I found a guy with a grandfather with lots of acres and willing to take my dozen roosters - which I gave to him for free. I have three places on my farm where I can keep sick, lame or slightly incapacitated animals: my lame duck area is 10 x 20, fenced/gated and has a wading pool inset in the ground so the lame ducks slip in. There are two large paver stones in the pool so they can step on it and get out. My lame sheep, 10 years old, has a barn stall to herself and we set up about 20 feet of runway so she can walk out for sunshine and air but doesn't have to walk too far, and I put a small hay feeder in her stall, just for her. My one peacock, when he had surgery for a respiratory infection that covered his eye, couldn't go back to the large pen because the others picked on him, so I put him in a 10x10 pen of his own and brought in a female peacock for him, ensured he had a tarp roof and tarped two sides for the winter, brought in a large dog crate with straw for warmth, and that's his home. I have a large enclosure in the garage that I use for sick animals, and another enclosure for babies/young that shouldn't face the cold just yet. I separate out sick fowl and medicate until they get well, or die. All my animals live here until they die, and I take care of my dogs and cats, too, through incontinence, cancer, arthritis, or whatever.

 

[ralpha]

I agree with try giving him away for free being the best alternative. But I’m curious - in order to keep him, why do you need a separate pen? I have two roosters, they both live together with the hens.

 

[Silky45]

How do you bring yourself to cull a rooster because you have too many?

I have let my Silkies breed and produce cute little fluffy things but I know I will have too many roosters, so after trying to sell them with no response, how do you bring yourself to cull a rooster that you keep just because you can't bring yourself to do the cull?
I would never treat my chickens bad and always feed and care for every one of them, rooster or not, but I don't want to keep roosters in a seperate bachelor coop. I admit I already have a cockerel separate in another coop because he looks good so I have kept him and given him some pullets for company but I have a young 9 week old that I know I will not want to breed with and he isn't a unique colour so I have been trying to sell him. Do I give him a few more weeks up for sale or do I cull? And if cull, how do I bring myself to cull it?
I have only killed one chicken in my life when she was very sick and I tried everything to help her, she was near dead so I ended her suffering poor girl, I was so upset about doing it but knew I had to do it to end her pain. So how on earth would I kill a perfectly healthy chicken!? And just because I don't want it? I feel so bad! How can I kill him if he doesn't sell? How do I bring myself to do it!? Is it better to do it young or just allow him to grow up a little more and live out his little life?

My question is why can’t you keep them? I’m only asking this because I too have silkies and would like to eventually have a rooster and I thought that roosters that grow up around other roosters will squabble over pecking order like hens do and then realize who the “ king” is . Silkie roosters are also pretty docile from what my friends have said about theirs . I could never cull a silkie maybe because they are like kittens to me . I hope you will be able to find homes for them . I will keep you in mind when I’m ready for a rooster .

 

[Teenadie]

This is the problem with people getting chickens. I say BEFORE you get birds you need to be able to put it down if needed for various reasons. It’s all fun and games until a chicken needs to get put down.
Then you have the people that can’t cull the bird and only want it to go to a “good home” again this is not a plan.
I applaud you for asking how to bring yourself to put the bird down. That to me is responsible ownership. You given It a good life now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s never easy but look at it this way. This meat was not locked in a cage it’s whole life.

What a great answer! You have to know when to let the animal go. My husband was a wonderful, caring farmer. He loved his animals. But he also knew when it was time to let them go. No matter what type of animal it was. To him, it was a livelihood so any animal not producing was not part of the plan. It was always hard on him, but he knew his responsibility. Sadly, he past away January 2020.

it’s just like butchering an animal. We have had people say ‘how can you do that to the lamb, steer, chicken’. My husband would tell them that is what the animal was raised for and they were not pets.

 

[ChichiMama]

We keep saying we are going to “throw them over the fence” There is a farm down the road with so many chickens, they would never notice... we say it jokingly...But every time I drive last that fence it really does not look high at all.
awww don’t kill him... just give him away...

 

[Aunt Angus]

What a great answer! You have to know when to let the animal go. My husband was a wonderful, caring farmer. He loved his animals. But he also knew when it was time to let them go. No matter what type of animal it was. To him, it was a livelihood so any animal not producing was not part of the plan. It was always hard on him, but he knew his responsibility. Sadly, he past away January 2020.

it’s just like butchering an animal. We have had people say ‘how can you do that to the lamb, steer, chicken’. My husband would tell them that is what the animal was raised for and they were not pets.

My condolences about your beloved husband. He sounds like a great man.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I understand that many raise animals for meat or profit. Many also raise them as pets. As long as you do things humanely and safely, you do you.

My plan for culling is taking them to a vet. I can do that because I only have 9 birds, they are pets, there are vets nearby, and I have the means. If you raise for meat or profit, or a vet isn't an option, I agree that you should have a plan. A friend has a neighbor do it for her.

 

[becky_animals]

I hate knocking off excess roosters or ones that have attacked my kids, too.

After a very emotionally upsetting incident where I learned that "wringing a chicken's neck" doesn't actually kill the bird, I decided it was less cruel to set the bird loose where my eat-chickens-that-hop-the-fence dogs could get it. I chain the dogs up, set the chicken where they can get it once free, and let them loose. I know it seems cruel to kill it by letting dogs get it, but really, no "crueler" than the bird of mine killed by a hawk, and definitely better than my attempt at killing one with my hands...

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

This is the problem with people getting chickens. I say BEFORE you get birds you need to be able to put it down if needed for various reasons. It’s all fun and games until a chicken needs to get put down.
Then you have the people that can’t cull the bird and only want it to go to a “good home” again this is not a plan.
I applaud you for asking how to bring yourself to put the bird down. That to me is responsible ownership. You given It a good life now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s never easy but look at it this way. This meat was not locked in a cage it’s whole life.

Yes I agree before you get birds you need to know how to put them down, or be able to access a vet to do it for you. But a plan for sure. I have put one sick bird down to end it's suffering, broomstick method. I know I could do it again if needed. But a healthy bird is a another question. And I couldn't eat pets but agree the meat would be better knowing exactly where it came from even though I buy free range it's not really free range as I think it would be.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I agree with try giving him away for free being the best alternative. But I’m curious - in order to keep him, why do you need a separate pen? I have two roosters, they both live together with the hens.

I have already a few boys but will keep as many boys as I can that get along. I already seperated 1 cockerel because he was overmating so he has his own coop with 2 pullets and doing fine with them. Problem will be when multiple go broody the boys will far outweigh the girls, then fightingay happen.