Neighbor starting Rooster Farm

[msjammies]

Hi everyone;

Looking for a bit of advice here. My nextdoor neighbor has informed me he has purchased 125 rooster chicks and will be raising them for meat in his back yard. He has put in a 10x10 coop and has a fenced in area.

I am obviously a bit concerned about noise and the possibility of aggressive roosters enter my yard (could/would they hurt my 9 lb Chihuahua?). But more importantly I'm wondering if it's humane to have so many rooster in a smallish space? Is it even legal to have that many roosters??!!

Any advice you could provide would be most appreciated!! I've had a few backyard chickens (hens) over the years myself and know first hand how much of a handful they can be at times, it has me wondering how the heck a person could even consider a hundred roosters!!!

Thank you!!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi there.
The issue of legalities would have to be answered by your local authority (be it county, city, etc.) - and what you do about it from there would depend on how much you value your neighborly relations I suppose.
That being said, I think you are looking at this from the perspective of having had a laying flock and that is not at all like meat birds. Meat birds go from hatch to freezer in a matter of weeks - not months or years like standard laying or dual purpose breeds that you are familiar with. The Cornish Cross, for example, is ready to be processed at just 8 weeks. What I am getting at is that this is a very temporary situation. The risk of them getting out - or going more than a few feet from their feeders - or having the energy to even think about trying to injure anything is pretty much nil due to the massive amounts of growth that they go through in their short lives - often rendering them all but immobile when raised as meat birds.

 

[junebuggena]

Hi there.
The issue of legalities would have to be answered by your local authority (be it county, city, etc.) - and what you do about it from there would depend on how much you value your neighborly relations I suppose.
That being said, I think you are looking at this from the perspective of having had a laying flock and that is not at all like meat birds. Meat birds go from hatch to freezer in a matter of weeks - not months or years like standard laying or dual purpose breeds that you are familiar with. The Cornish Cross, for example, is ready to be processed at just 8 weeks. What I am getting at is that this is a very temporary situation. The risk of them getting out - or going more than a few feet from their feeders - or having the energy to even think about trying to injure anything is pretty much nil due to the massive amounts of growth that they go through in their short lives - often rendering them all but immobile when raised as meat birds.

x2 Meat birds are short term, they won't be around for too long.

 

[msjammies]

Thanks so much for the helpful replies!!

I AM picturing this as a 100 of the boisterous, creative, trouble-makers I had with my hens (some of whom learned to follow my dog in through the doggy door!!). And I do hope to keep a good relationship with my neighbor (I am worried a great deal though about the quality of care these roosters will get).

One last question. Are they all going to crow in the morning? We will be quite close to the roosters and I'm not relishing the idea of a sunrise wake up for the rest of summer!

Thanks again.

 

[junebuggena]

Since most meat birds are harvested by 8 weeks old, there probably won't be much crowing at all.

 

[keesmom]

Since most meat birds are harvested by 8 weeks old, there probably won't be much crowing at all.

This is true IF the cockerels he ordered are Cornish X or other broiler type. Unfortunately if he ordered one of the hatcheries' fry pan specials they will be slow growing "dual purpose" types that will take 4-6 months.

Did your neighbor say what kind of cockerel chicks he ordered?

 

[msjammies]

Well, he did say it would "only" be for 4 months at a time. I guess that suggests he didn't get the fast-growing type? So, I should expect crowing?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Well, he did say it would "only" be for 4 months at a time. I guess that suggests he didn't get the fast-growing type? So, I should expect crowing?

4 months at a time would indicate it is likely the "ranger" type meat birds or even regular dual purpose breeds rather than Cornish X -- and, the longer life does increase the crowing issue as, yes, at 4 months crowing would be expected.

 

[MakelaNJoe]

In my county you are allowed to have 20,000 broiler chickens (meat birds) and 15,000 egg laying hens. Provided there is no conditions in with our numbers there's no specific land requirement in order to have all these birds.. sometimes it's ridiculous how they squish so many poor birds together!!!

 

[aart]

You may be Cock-A-Doodle-Doomed.....starting at about the 3 month mark.

But the 125 birds in a 10x10 coop is crazy ridiculous......wonder how big the fenced in part is?
The stink could be prodigious, way before the crowing starts.

If you have a good relationship with him maybe a little conversation is on order, especially if he hasn't had any experience with chickens.
Meanwhile might want to look into the local laws, just so you know...and can let him know.