How to get rid of roosters?

[rebrascora]

Otherwise, I raise them, eat them, and cull them.

Hopefully not in that order LG!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I put my unwanted boys in my local newspaper under livestock offered for free though, if yours is a desired breed you could possibly sell it. I was desperate to get rid of him (had 3 boys for 12 girls). You could also try craigslist too. The farmer I gave my cockerel to said he checks craigslist and newspapers daily for people giving away birds. It's how he builds up his flock.

That farmer fed you a line of hooey. The average flock only needs one roo. Extra roos cause stress in the flock. If he's getting extra roos from CL, he's enjoying roast chicken without having to buy any feed to raise it!

 

[lazy gardener]

Hopefully not in that order LG!!

Yeah... I either raise them to eat, or may end up culling them and using them for land fill if they are OLD.

Good catch. I can just see me wearing a bib, and chasing a cockerel around my yard with a fork in one hand and a salt shaker in the other!!!

 

[apryl29]

That farmer fed you a line of hooey. The average flock only needs one roo. Extra roos cause stress in the flock. If he's getting extra roos from CL, he's enjoying roast chicken without having to buy any feed to raise it!

My cockerel was a buff orpington, he wanted him for breeding. My brother even suggested that he could eat the bird if he changed his mind and he said he had no plans of it. He was looking to start hatching his own eggs. Obviously, once he's got the bird he can do as he wishes, but he even offered for us to come visit him on the farm so I don't see why he'd lie about it.
I had 2 cockerels up in the ad, one was a slightly aggressive leghorn and the buff orp. He only wanted the buff orp & was going to see another lady about a RIR after he left. If he was going to just eat them he'd have taken both of mine.

 

[J&Kfeatheredfowl]

Good luck with that latter part. You will do well to give him away I think and not worry too much about what someone else is going to do with him. Personally I find that it is better to know that he had a good life and quick death at my own hand than goodness knows what with someone else. I feel that is my responsibility when I have raised him from a chick.
I want to know how you have managed not to raise any male chicks before now??

I haven't hatched many to be honest, but before now I've been lucky

 

[rebrascora]

The farmer I gave my cockerel to said he checks craigslist and newspapers daily for people giving away birds. It's how he builds up his flock.

I agree with @lazy gardener on this. I smile every time I see people post this sort of thing. Either the farmer's roosters are getting eaten by predators or the farmer! Farmers are businessmen, they do not feed animals for the love of it. One rooster is enough for a flock. Why would he want more other than to eat them.

Edited to add....
Just read your additional post @apryl29 and it sounds like perhaps your guy was the lucky one.

 

[apryl29]

I agree with @lazy gardener on this. I smile every time I see people post this sort of thing. Either the farmer's roosters are getting eaten by predators or the farmer! Farmers are businessmen, they do not feed animals for the love of it. One rooster is enough for a flock. Why would he want more other than to eat them.

Then why wouldn't he have taken the leghorn? It doesn't make sense. Meat is meat, you'd think w/ free meat he'd take him anyway. Either way, I needed to get rid of him & I would have given him both if he had wanted him.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

And for the record, I always have more roosters then hens when I hatch them. Am I alone in this?
Last time I had 3 roosters, and 1 hen. It was under my broody silkie.

Fortunately, last year I hatched 6 girls and 2 guys. Not going to let them go broody this year. I've got too many to raise more, especially roos.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

One rooster is enough for a flock. Why would he want more other than to eat them.

Multiple roos are very beneficial to me because my girls are all over the place, and more roos gives me more coverage.

 

[CCUK]

This is what puts me off incubating. The last hatch I did was with quail. From 24 eggs 18 hatched which is pretty good. I only had one die in the Shell but it was deformed the others were infertile. I ended up with 10 females and 8 males. It was ok for a start until they ended up fighting. I had to keep them in a dark room to try and stop it. I ended up taking them to auction. I made 4 pounds for them. But it cost me 6 pounds for two boxes to put them in so I lost money. I'm a live and let live sort of person when it comes to chickens so I just buy pullets now. No problems to deal with.