I want to incubate eggs but fear roosters

[CKfarm22]

As the title states, I want to try to incubate eggs (bought from hatchery) but fear roosters (not allowed to have them) …. so i’m asking what would i do with the roosters hatched?

 

[sdm111]

Just don't incubate rounded eggs those are males. Only incubate eggs that are more pointed thatll get you females

 

[5 Points Wingfeather]

You can

1. Cull them (kill them humanely)
2. Eat them
3. Try to find them a nice home
4. Sell them at an auction
5. List them as “free” on Craigslist or a similar website.

 

[sdm111]

Wait actually??? is this proven??

No

 

[Aunt Angus]

This is part of the reason I won't incubate - roosters. And I can have as many as I want here. But if you have a solid plan for dealing with males, you should be ok. Just know that most will become someone's dinner.

 

[igorsMistress]

It would take a while to figure out what’s what unless you choose a sex linked breed. Most people give them away or sell them or eat them. Unless you have a plan it would be better to purchase sexed chicks, statistically the male to female hatch rate is 50:50

 

[RoyalChick]

If you are not up for it you can sell them at a livestock auction. The one near me (NJ) sounds pretty simple. You have to buy a seat (not very expensive) and then you drop off your rooster and you can leave.
You have to recognize that it will probably get killed and eaten so if you are emotionally attached at that stage it will be difficult.

 

[WallyG74]

You should probably go ahead a get extra eggs for hatching to make sure you get all the different hens that you want. I’d hatch no less than 16.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm going to offer another perspective that might not be popular, so please just think of me as devil's advocate.

Beyond the problems that come with incubation, I won't incubate because I hate the idea of bringing a bunch of lives into the world and then just throwing away the ones that are inconvenient. Idk. Makes me feel icky. I know to most people, they are just commodities, but they are living beings. I'd feel like I was being selfish.

Not judging. This is just how I feel knowing that this isn't how most of the chicken-raising world works. I think you ought to consider this angle since you, like me, can't slaughter your own birds.

 

[Bird Lady Literally]

My flock of 40 is approximately half roosters. I brought them into this world and I feel responsible for caring for them properly. As someone else said don’t bring animals or birds into this world if half of them are going to be ‘inconvenient’ to you. Buy already sexed chicks. Respect the lives of all animals.

I totally get what you mean about respecting the lives of animals but by only buying sexed chicks all you are doing is letting someone else deal with the roosters, which in all likelihood most will still be culled or eaten, you just aren't the one dealing with it. I personally would prefer to handle the roosters myself, atleast I know they had a good life before we make the decision to slaughter them. It does make me sad to do it but it's likely better than what the chicken we buy at the store suffered through.