Lost a rooster

[Chickenkeeper2024]

I have recently just been letting my roosters pick a tree to roost in at night and let them free range all the time. They have been over mating my hens (we ended up with 5 roosters out of 11) and I felt bad for them. They have a shed they can go into, but lately they have been picking on one rooster. Not letting him go anywhere near them so he has been roaming in the front yard a lot. I haven’t been able to find him. I don’t see any feathers or signs of foul play anywhere in my yard. Do they just roam off and come back? He was a sweet guy

 

[LaFleche]

I have recently just been letting my roosters pick a tree to roost in at night and let them free range all the time. They have been over mating my hens (we ended up with 5 roosters out of 11) and I felt bad for them. They have a shed they can go into, but lately they have been picking on one rooster. Not letting him go anywhere near them so he has been roaming in the front yard a lot. I haven’t been able to find him. I don’t see any feathers or signs of foul play anywhere in my yard. Do they just roam off and come back? He was a sweet guy

Welcome to the BYC community!

Letting males roam free can lead to losses, whether to predators or them wandering off in search for females or a new home.

 

[Chickenkeeper2024]

Welcome to the BYC community!

Letting males roam free can lead to losses, whether to predators or them wandering off in search for females or a new home.

What would be the best way to go about this? I can’t put them back in with the hens, they were getting pretty brutal with them when mating. We left one rooster in there. I’m worried the orps are going to start chasing off my little polish rooster now…

 

[LaFleche]

What would be the best way to go about this? I can’t put them back in with the hens, they were getting pretty brutal with them when mating. We left one rooster in there. I’m worried the orps are going to start chasing off my little polish rooster now…

How many hens do you have and how many males? What age?

How big are your coop and run?

You can try to rehome your surplus males or send them to freezer camp.

 

[ChicNmom]

I've always been able to re-home my extra boys. Craigslist can be good. Beware of someone who wants them all unless you don't care if they are someones dinner. I post pics and a description of each rooster.

Our area has a poultry facebook group. You could try that. I've also made flyers to put up at the feed store.

 

[Chickenkeeper2024]

How many hens do you have and how many males? What age?

How big are your coop and run?

You can try to rehome your surplus males or send them to freezer camp.

We have 6 hens, 4 roosters as of right now 5 if the buff Orpington ever comes back…

Coop is 8x8 and the run is 8x12

We might have to do that… I’ve never experienced such heartbreak

 

[Yardmom]

Some people do make a seperate coop and pen for roosters. I've heard it should be out of sight of the hens.
Most refer to this as a bachelor pad.

Do not put the roos back in with the hens. You are correct when thinking this would be bad for the hens.

Continue as you are (I'm assuming hen are not free ranging) , Eat them, sell them, or bachelor pad.

 

[LaFleche]

We have 6 hens, 4 roosters as of right now 5 if the buff Orpington ever comes back…

Coop is 8x8 and the run is 8x12

We might have to do that… I’ve never experienced such heartbreak

Oh dear, that sure is a bad ratio! I am sorry.

With only 6 females and tight space, do you really want to keep a male at all?

Do you have experience keeping roosters?

 

[Chickenkeeper2024]

Some people do make a seperate coop and pen for roosters. I've heard it should be out of sight of the hens.
Most refer to this as a bachelor pad.

Do not put the roos back in with the hens. You are correct when thinking this would be bad for the hens.

Continue as you are (I'm assuming hen are not free ranging) , Eat them, sell them, or bachelor pad.

Say he does come back and I do make them a bachelor pad will they just try to kick home out again? Should I not let them free range? Our back yard isn’t the biggest and anywhere I put them in the back yard wouldn’t be out of sight of the hens…

 

[Chickenkeeper2024]

Oh dear, that sure is a bad ratio! I am sorry.

With only 6 females and tight space, do you really want to keep a male at all?

Do you have experience keeping roosters?

I know.. I was devastated when 3 of the 4 of our first batch turned out to be roosters.. I’m honestly not sure I’m so new to all of this. They seem to be doing okay with him in there now… I just don’t know about when he gets bigger how it will be.