Neutering Roosters

[Mequita]

I don't know if I should begin a new thread but in relation with caponizing a rooster I would like to ask if a caponized rooster will mate less or not mate at all.
I have 8 rescued ex battery cage hens and they have never been with a rooster. I recently gave home to a rooster that was abandoned and I decided to allow him to live with my girls (in spite of the fact that I didn't want fertilized eggs).
I have let him in with the girls in 2 opportunities and the experience has been terrible for my girls. I don't think they want a male on top of them 24/7. Do hens need to mate like rooster do?
I really want to make this work for all of them, especially for Renato the too, because I don't want him to live alone. As somebody said, they are social animals.
Kindly

 

[SigningChickens]

I want to do this to save their lifes and be a responsible pet owner.  I got 3 chicks as a rescue situation and two look like they are going to be males.  I feel it is my ethical obligation to keep these animals and not give them away.  There are too many unwanted chickens in my community as it is.  I volunteer for a local chicken rescue group and absoultely don't agree with killing an animal because it doesn't suit my needs.  As far as the procedure goes, my vet does not cut into the back of the bird and pull out the testicles.  She is using an up to date technique and it has been very successful.  I guess I don't understand the negative comments.  I'm trying to be a responsible pet owner and have to the funds to do it.  It's only $30-40 per bird.  My dog and cat's vet visit are much higher than that and ALL pets in my family are equal.

It feels like so many people here are all about the eggs and don't see the chickens as more than for the eggs or meat.

 

[BLT79]

I am so thankful to the person that mentioned neutering a rooster on another thread! We just got two chicks on Sunday. They are 3 weeks old, their Momma died on Saturday. These were the only two that were hatched and survived. I cannot have crowing roosters where I live, but do not want to separate them after everything they have been through. We suspect one may be a rooster. How do I know for sure at this young age though? Would like to find a vet asap that will do it. I don't mind if it alters the rooster plumage, and I am not getting chickens to breed. Just eggs to eat. I just really do not want to have to separate these two! We will be adding to the flock soon, but they will be a different age, so I can't put the 3 week old in with them. They follow each other everywhere. I have gotten mixed opinions whether the suspected one is a roo though.

 

[PrettyLacedFeathers]

Does anyone have experience caponizing roosters near Orlando, FL?

 

[Phantom Bantam]

Hi....I just joined....I Googled the same question Miss Chicken had. And I was taken to this link.

We (my husband and I) do not kill animals and we have two young roosters and we were trying to figure out how to keep them......and also we do not want fertile eggs. And the both of us at the same time said.....wonder if we could get them neutered? LOL So now that we know it is done....we will proceed with contacting our vet on the matter. I appreciate everyone's input on the matter.....especially yours Miss Chicken....we feel the very same way you do. It does not matter what kind of animal it is....we feel it has the right to live out it's life naturally.

 

[ten chicks]

Hi....I just joined....I Googled the same question Miss Chicken had. And I was taken to this link.

We (my husband and I) do not kill animals and we have two young roosters and we were trying to figure out how to keep them......and also we do not want fertile eggs. And the both of us at the same time said.....wonder if we could get them neutered? LOL So now that we know it is done....we will proceed with contacting our vet on the matter. I appreciate everyone's input on the matter.....especially yours Miss Chicken....we feel the very same way you do. It does not matter what kind of animal it is....we feel it has the right to live out it's life naturally.

I absolutely agree with you! I also am going to enquire with my vet about neutering my roosters. I have about 4/5(2 orpingtons roos and 2-3 silkie roos)all my boys are very gentle,i have looked into rehoming,but everyone wants to put them on their dinner plate. There is no way i will allow this to happen. I have raised these boys from chicks,if i had more hens this would not be a problem but i don't,so they have to be neutered. My vet deals with livestock and is open to suggestions,i am hoping he will investigate this technique you are referring to(confident that he will). I do understand the negativity you are referring to,i have heard it as well,but my opinion is that if new techniques are developed to neuter roosters,then maybe not so many will be killed as chicks/adults.

 

[BLT79]

My vet does not do this procedure. I can't find one in my area that does it. One vet office sounded baffled by my question. Guess it's not like the old days use to be. Now we have to consider finding ours a new home

 

[mithious]

I'm wondering too....lots of opinions in this thread about should you or shouldn't you but none with real experience living with neutered roosters.
Are there members here who have done it and what was the result re: behavior; aggression to humans, still jumping the girls?

thank you

Hi all, I had just asked on the chick thread if anyone still caponized their roo's. My Daddy used to caponize all but our two best, non human aggressive, roo's. We raised PBR's back in the 60's and on...we did eat the capons! I wish I had learned how from my Daddy when he was still alive!!!

To answer your questions, best I can, the younger you caponize your roo's the better chance you have of controlling the hormones that result in the "roo" behavior but there is no guarantee that is so. The slips can and did happen, and we didn't always know, so there is that possibility also. The only reason we used to caponized our roo's was so we could process them and they wouldn't be tough, or fryers, as we used to call them, so no, you have no guarantee that your roo will not crow, or become aggressive. I don't know about mounting the hens, as we kept our capons in a separate pen. Sorry! Again though, if you want to go this route, the earlier you do caponize the roo's the better your chances are that it will control some of the roo behavior. Although again, NO guarantee that will be true. I'm posting this because you all asked and so you have all the information when making your decision! Although I do eat some of my birds, I have nothing against any of you who see your chickens as pets. I just come at this from a livestock angle!

To each his own, I say! You say pet, I say dinner...still care for my animals and give them the very best life I can! Hope this helps those of you looking into this! I say, if it's 30 bucks, and you really want to keep your roo? why not try it and see if your roo is one of the ones that doesn't develop futhur roo traits? Oh and if they are young when caponized, they WILL look more like a hen than a rooster

kinda....

I might get back into showing also, but still on the fence on that one, with all the diseases out there today. I don't remember having that problem back when Daddy and I were raising chickens

Best of luck to you all!

 

[Righteous Rstr]

Wow, no one has ever taking me seriously, CUTTING roosters was common not
so long ago.If one were so inclined. A roosters jewels are in his armpits. The old
school folks "cut" otherwise useless roosters to create "setters" that fought off
predators! This can be safely and easily done by flipping bird on it's back ,help
ers recommended. Take wings and hold them back on table ,truck ,ect. Push 2
fingers on testes, they are really big and pop up easily. Then slit a single cut at
testes(both sides!) The pressure will "pop"it up after slit.Cut the strings remove
testes "IMPORTANT" just as piglets sprinkle shaving powder on open cut, this
will cauterize the wound. AFTER denutting roosters they will become all-star
setters really,they set or die trying! Ask Grannie!

 

[Righteous Rstr]

I lost twenty bucks to learn that little tidbit ! Capons are still common in Mexico they make ideal setters
especially because they get HUGE .I have to agree with the others though ,let the boys keep their jewels
get some hens ,if anyone gripes donate or sell them where they can be what God meant for them. By the
way they might spar some but won't actually fight until you introduce female(s). RR