I want to incubate eggs but fear roosters

[GardenDmpls]

There are many people around me in Far Rockaway (part of Queens, New York City) who were born and raised having chickens and using them for food. They know how to quickly convert a rooster into a good meal for their families. I can always find someone working in a bodega or doing yardwork who is happy to have the roosters. I used to give some to a lady who used them in her church soup kitchen. I have eaten a few, also.

 

[Silexian]

An auction is your best bet, to get rid of extra roosters. They charge a commission for selling your livestock and farm goods. You don’t have to sit at a farmers market all day. After paying a set up fee, hoping they will sell. No showing up to meet someone from an online site. To have them call and cancel or just be a no show. You know when sale time is and are guaranteed that they will sell. Usually within an hour or two of the start of the sale. I am headed home with empty cages and my check in hand. At the one near me. When you register. You are assigned a seller number. If I don’t feel like sticking around to watch them sell. Which to keep me from buying other farm related items. My wife prefers. I attach a card with my seller number and a note, to sell cage and all. The auction company deducts their commission. Then sends my check in the mail.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've had pretty bad ratios hatching my own eggs. Out of two sets of 10, I got 6 roosters from the first batch and 9(!!) from the second. Once it was clear they were roosters, I donated them to a local raptor rehabilitation center, where they were humanely euthanized and used to feed injured or human-raised birds of prey. I think that was an excellent option, and might work for you if you can't cull them yourself.

I'm just curious, how did you find out about them and how did they find out about your extra males? I'm trying to find something similar with my males currently

 

[thlayli]

I'm just curious, how did you find out about them and how did they find out about your extra males? I'm trying to find something similar with my males currently

I googled for it and found one close by, then called and asked if they accepted live donations of chickens. It was a very easy process.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I googled for it and found one close by, then called and asked if they accepted live donations of chickens. It was a very easy process.

Awesome, thanks!


Op, perhaps see if anyone is selling sexlink eggs? (From parent stock, not laid by sexlinks.) That way at hatch you know and can figure out what to do during those first few weeks instead of having a bunch of boys just suddenly show up.

 

[thlayli]

...instead of having a bunch of boys just suddenly show up.

My milkshakes!!

(I'm joking, but I also couldn't pass that opportunity up)

Sexlinks sound like a pretty good compromise on the issue, actually. You'll know pretty darn quick which ones you need to send packing and have plenty of time to line up something

 

[Ila88]

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

I don’t think so.

 

[SueT]

In our area there are poultry swaps. You take the birds you want to sell and display them in a cage w a sign on it….I’ve sold several excess boys that way, and I don’t ask questions. But one woman did say, “We’ll use him for breeding, we’re not going to eat him.”
Hatching eggs is very rewarding, especially if you join a hatch along here on BYC —-you’ll become part of a fraternity of like minded people, chatting about air cells, humidity, internal/external pips, etc. I highly recommend it. Yeah, dealing w roosters is a price to pay, but then you’re part of another ‘been there done that’ fraternity and can share your experience here again.
Let us know what you do, we’d love updates….

(PS and the swaps are fun, you get to see all kinds of poultry and meet interesting people who love to talk about them….)

 

[WallyG74]

I don’t think so.

Bullet = pullet

 

[lifein1840]

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?

I buy fertile eggs from local 4-H or local chicken raisers. It seems that, usually, about half of the chicks that hatch will be male. I list them on Craig's list and have no problem finding someone that wants or needs them. If I had a place to do it, I would probably butcher them. (I just found a lady that has a good set up for butchering and may see if we can work together next year) Meat is so expensive now, along with feed. They have to earn their keep.