harvestmoonica
Chirping
- Jul 20, 2025
- 18
- 44
- 59
We decided to let the younger chickens out today to have some snacks and run around without the bigger ones bugging them, and I saw something that brought to the front of my mind what I think I had been trying to ignore - And now can't stop thinking about.
In the last round of "pullets" we got from Tractor Supply this year, we thought we were getting 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Starlight Green Egger, and 1 Rustic Rock. The Rustic Rock (our Estelle) is very obviously who she says she is. The other 3 however were all in the same bin... Two of them are cute little pullets, and we've been thinking maybe they're the Easter Eggers (maybe some Leghorn in Poppy), and the "Starlight Green Egger" appears to be a cockeral.
We aren't allowed to have roosters where we live (hence why we have chosen to buy pullets) so we know Casey won't be able to stay, but it wasn't until today that I felt the weight of the situation.
Casey has always plopped himself on the ground, and we have always thought it was cute and goofy, but I watched him struggle to get up today, which was new. He never seemed to have a problem before. He has always walked funny, and he is now almost the size of our older pullets, which is more than twice the size of the pullets his age.
Our other rooster, Pepper (who we told can stick around if he keeps quiet), grew faster than the rest, but at what seemed to be a proportionate speed for his body as a Wyandotte. Pepper is strong and very healthy. Casey is oddly large and makes us wonder if he is a meat bird.
We are new chicken owners this year. We love our flock. We also understand how nature works and are learning the nature of raising these birds.
We have never really thought about culling one of our flock. We've imagined Pepper or Casey going somewhere to be a strong rooster to protect a new flock, not to become chicken soup.
But we're worried that culling might be the best thing for Casey. We read all these terrifying things about meat birds dying of heart attacks or breaking their legs because they grow too fast for the rest of their body to keep up.
As a healthcare provider, I have seen and cared for sick and dying people for years. So I have thought very hard regarding how to provide very mindful, thoughtful care to my patients.
We don't want to be inhumane, so is sending Casey to be culled sooner rather than later (vs finding him a new flock) the right thing to do? We'd appreciate any kind words of advice or past experiences that others have had. Thanks so much!
In the last round of "pullets" we got from Tractor Supply this year, we thought we were getting 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Starlight Green Egger, and 1 Rustic Rock. The Rustic Rock (our Estelle) is very obviously who she says she is. The other 3 however were all in the same bin... Two of them are cute little pullets, and we've been thinking maybe they're the Easter Eggers (maybe some Leghorn in Poppy), and the "Starlight Green Egger" appears to be a cockeral.
We aren't allowed to have roosters where we live (hence why we have chosen to buy pullets) so we know Casey won't be able to stay, but it wasn't until today that I felt the weight of the situation.
Casey has always plopped himself on the ground, and we have always thought it was cute and goofy, but I watched him struggle to get up today, which was new. He never seemed to have a problem before. He has always walked funny, and he is now almost the size of our older pullets, which is more than twice the size of the pullets his age.
Our other rooster, Pepper (who we told can stick around if he keeps quiet), grew faster than the rest, but at what seemed to be a proportionate speed for his body as a Wyandotte. Pepper is strong and very healthy. Casey is oddly large and makes us wonder if he is a meat bird.
We are new chicken owners this year. We love our flock. We also understand how nature works and are learning the nature of raising these birds.
We have never really thought about culling one of our flock. We've imagined Pepper or Casey going somewhere to be a strong rooster to protect a new flock, not to become chicken soup.
But we're worried that culling might be the best thing for Casey. We read all these terrifying things about meat birds dying of heart attacks or breaking their legs because they grow too fast for the rest of their body to keep up.
As a healthcare provider, I have seen and cared for sick and dying people for years. So I have thought very hard regarding how to provide very mindful, thoughtful care to my patients.
We don't want to be inhumane, so is sending Casey to be culled sooner rather than later (vs finding him a new flock) the right thing to do? We'd appreciate any kind words of advice or past experiences that others have had. Thanks so much!
I feel the same. That is one reason I generally get grown chickens to make sure there are no roosters. (cant have them here)
