Letting people have roosters, opinions please

[southernsibe]

I have a surplus of roosters, I posted in the swaps thread a while back. Nothing really came of that so I moved on to my local free cycle and a farm swap that is in my area. I have had some more luck with that. There is a person coming today that is willing to take any and all roosters I have. She is married to someone that apparently knows "all about chickens". Now, originally, this was ok with me. But the more I thought about it, the more it seems to bother me. I just have a really strange feeling about this. Now, if this was a dog and I was doing a placement for it, this feeling would stop it in it's tracks. So i am not sure why I'm even second guessing myself. Not that much experience with rehomeing chickens I guess. Why would someone be willing to take any and all roosters that I have? I have made it very clear that they are roosters, not just "chickens" since most people want hens. I appreciate anything that anyone has to say as long as it is helpful and constructive. I am not looking to get slammed or flamed because I want to rehome my roosters. I want to rehome them, because they do not have a quality of life here that is good enough.
Thank you
Rachel

 

[Tutter]

They might fight them? That's one reason I know of.

They could use them for training dogs.

Another thought would be that they are going to eat them, and maybe don't want to tell you?

I'd go with my instincts and not sell to anyone who gave me pause.

 

[tvtaber]

IMHO, there are only two reasons someone would want roosters that badly, either to eat or to fight. If you can satisfy yourself they do not want to fight them, and are OK with them being eaten by someone besides yourself, then you should go ahead with it. If you are rehoming and expect them to be pets, well that may be asking too much...

 

[speckledhen]

Most likely, they'll be someone's dinner. When you have lots of extra roosters, as in when you hatch chicks, you either have to feed them a long time while you find each one a home where he will have his own flock of ladies or be a pet OR you have to just set your mind that sometimes, it's a rooster's lot in life to be dinner. I hate the thought, mainly because I handle all my chicks, tame them, because I want whoever gets them to have a tame rooster who's calm. The last bunch of cockerels was particularly hard because they were 13 weeks old! I knew each one of them, all were sweet and easy to handle and I know most, if not all, were destined for the stew pot. Had to remind myself that I cannot feed all those roosters indefinitely, I just cant do it. And I dont have the heart to process them, either.

 

[ozark hen]

I totally agree with Speckled Hen. I have learned to go with my gut anymore. what do you want to do? GO WITH YOUR GUT FEELINGS AND STICK TO IT.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Just for the fact alone that we have had a problem with cock-fighting here in VA, I would have to raise my eyebrows on this one. People are hard up for money right now and will do practically anything to get it. I don't know. I'm with you on your gut instinct. Something isn't right here. One or two roosters, okay. But ALL of them?

Maybe just ask the lady upfront if they plan on eating them.

 

[southernsibe]

Gumpsgirl,
I am ashamed to admit this, but I didn't know we were having problems in VA with fighting them.

Speckled and Ozark hens,
I don't really like the idea of them being dinner for someone, but, I understand it. I just can't do it myself. I have such an odd lot of boys that need to go. From almost 18 months down to about 4 months. Giving them in one bunch to someone that wants to eat them is not a perfect world, but better then them going to someone that will use them for purposes that will hurt them.

I had thought of asking the lady straight up what she was going to eat them or what, but I have no guarantee that she won't lie to me.

Thanks guys
Rachel

 

[ginbart]

Are they coming from far away? Maybe you could offer to bring the roosters to them. This way you could see where they will be staying and what the set up looks like. Just an idea.

 

[herechickchick]

I agree with Cynthia, these guys are going to be dinner for someone which is not a bad thing, IMO. If I can not sell a rooster then I give it away to my friend and she cooks them. I think it makes good use of the birds if they can not go home elsewhere.

 

[BikerBabeRules]

Is it acceptable to take the rooster for a long walk in the woods at dusk, where you know there are foxes and coyotes and let them loose? Letting them be dinner for some wild thing? I have not done this, but know those that do. Haven't ever had to deal with extra roos yet, but i'm a vegetarian and won't eat them. This has got me thinking about what I will have to do. Thanks for the food for thought.