Multiple Roosters

[JFF12]

Here’s the deal: I originally bought 12 chicks (9 girls and 3 boys). I was afraid I works lose some during the raising process so I got 3 boys. As luck would have it, not only did all 3 survive, the hatchery sent me a 13th chick….a boy of course. So, now that I’ve gotten every one of them raised to roughly 15 weeks, which I’m proud of, what do I do with all the roosters? My original thought was keep the dominate one in the coop/run with the girls and let the other three free range. But I’ve gradually allowed all of my chickens to free range about half of the week (they just love it too much). Can I put out another feed station outside of the run and make sure those three stay outside? Should I stick the other three in a pot? (I don’t really want to do that but we are meat eaters). What do I do? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[sourland]

If it were me I would wait as long as possible and then select the least hen and human aggressive rooster as a flock leader. I would process and eat the others. Keeping them as a free range separate flock would spare the pullets aggravation, but there is a high probability that predators would eventually eat the cockerels.

 

[Sussex19]

I agree 100% with @sourland

 

[3KillerBs]

Are your boys all the same breed? And the girls? Are you trying to raise purebreds?

Can you get hold of the Standard of Perfection for your breed? (I can't readily get the US standard for my Australorps, but the Australian standard is available online http://www.openpoultrystandards.com/Main_Page ).

Your boys are very young so unless there's something glaringly off about them (in my case one of the Australorp boys was glaringly off-type: skinny, gawky, and nothing like an Australorp ought to have been so he was easy to eliminate from contention), you might want to let them grow out a while before making any choices.

If you need to eliminate one or two right now and they're all acceptable type you can consider their personalities. Is there one or two that you dislike for some reason? I had a Black Langshan male, who happened to die before I had to make a choice, who I never liked because he was ridiculously timid and flighty -- inclined to panic over everything and nothing. Had that trait not led to a fatal accident, I'd have culled him because of it.

 

[sdm111]

Just let it play out. Don't jump the gun they may all live happily ever after. Or they may kill one another just wait and see

 

[sdm111]

Don't take anybodys advice or opinions or experience as gospel. Everyone's situation is unique

 

[triciayoung]

You could make a bachelor pad as I have. However, it is a cost without the eggs.

 

[Tonyroo]

What are your plans and thoughts with what you want? Consider the space and feed required to house all the birds.

Good poultry management starts with a plan and sticking to it.

 

[Mrs. K]

Really, I would recommend you pull all of the roosters off your pullets. Flock mate cockerels tend to get much bigger, much faster than pullets. They can get quite aggressive with the less mature pullets, and run them ragged. If you have the means to separate them, separate all of them away from the pullets until the pullets begin to lay.

Then pick your favorite and add him back, and see how he acts. Some are great roosters, and a lot are rotten roosters. If he turns out, well let the rest go, if not, try a different one.

Mrs K