looking for a rooster

[philc814]

Hi
I'm about to buy a rooster, i was wondering if buying one at the local auction is ok or should i buy a chick??
thanks for any input.

 

[ChicKat]

Hi philc

Well, a lot depends on the purpose for your rooster IMO.

There are a lot of folks that are ready to get rid of roosters. Here on byc there is a buy/sell section, and craigs list seems to have lots of them.

Post back and give the forum more ideas of what your goal in having a rooster is and perhaps someone (even someone near you) will have a rooster that needs re-homing. Good luck with the quest. Do you want a rooster to have fertile eggs? Do you want a rooster for the great sound track they generate? Do you think a rooster would keep hens safer? Do you have small children? etc.

 

[Coop de Grille]

If you are located in South Carolina, just swing by my place... you can have your pick of lil roos! I have WAY too many that I need to rehome.

 

[sourland]

The local auction may be a great source of disease. It would be better to get a rooster from a local breeder though even that is no guaranteee of good health. Remember to quarantine him prior to introduction.

 

[Lollipop]

If you intend to add him to an existing flock, by all means shop around for a mature cock. A young rooster will be resented by the older birds and have a miserable life until he grows up. A mature cock will merely take charge and treat the ladies with respect. Listen to the voice of experience........Pop

 

[math ace]

I sell all my extra roos through Craigslist.
I would suggest you go that route.

With auctions, you don't get to speak to the owner and ask your billion questions ( what vaccines have they had, how people aggressive al they, etc.) Also, at auctions the birds are exposed to other birds who may be sick. When you go through Craigslist, there is more of an opportunity to make sure you are getting what you want....A healthy bird with the personality you need.

 

[math ace]

I agree with Lollipop too. If you have an exisiting flock, a cockerel will get "hen pecked" until he is big enough and MATURE enough to handle the ladies. When the cockerel is mature enough that he starts clucking for the imaginary ladies to come eat the treat stash that he just found.... he is ready for ladies.

 

[RedDrgn]

Depends on what you want to do.

In our case, we wanted a rooster because we wanted a rooster (and for no practical reason whatsoever). We had room in our flock for 1-2 more birds (max), so we didn't really want to go with chicks. We also did a whole lot of research and had many discussions with folks familiar with keeping roosters, so we were well aware of potential pitfalls. Plus, whenever it comes to animal acquisition, we always try to take in an animal that needs a home rather than go to a breeder. So with all of that to consider, we were looking for a mature bird, preferably 1+ years old.

What we ended up with was a 5.5 month old cockerel, but he's a NH and was most definitely beyond the "teenage angst" period and physically matured. He came from a flock with too many roos and needed a home, and was old enough that the previous owner could at least give us an accurate run down of his behavior/habits/attitude. So we knew what we were getting well before we got him, and he's become quite a gem. We love that flippin' bird.

We found him on BYC's Buy~Sell~Trade page. Craigslist and Petfinder are two other really good resources, though.

 

[philc814]

Thanks, you guys are most helpful. I have six chicks, there only five weeks old so i will do as you suggest and look here and maybe craigs list for a chick. how old of a rooster can i buy and still put him in with my chicks or do i have to wait until my hens are mature?

 

[math ace]

Tell me again.... . Why is it you want a rooster?

I want to understand what you want the rooster for BEFORE I make any suggestions....