Picking up free roosters, some questions

[Weetamoo93]

I'm planning to pick up some free roosters in a few days with the plan to process them and have a few questions:

1) do you let the person know you plan to process the birds? This individual has three roosters about 5 months old and only wanted hens.

2) do you let the birds settle for a few days prior to processing, or get right to it?

3) for quarantining, how close can my flock get to these birds? I'm not going to allow direct contact, but should I have a "moat" so to speak.

4) post processing, depending on quarantine, would it be safe to compost the feathers in my run? Will the scalding more or less sanitize the feathers?

I've processed two of my own at this point, so I'm confident in that regard.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I wouldn't let them have any access to the flock and would keep then in a completely different area from the flock.

I think letting them settle in might make them less stressed, (which we all know is best), UT I'm not 100% sure on that.

When I rehome boys, lost of the time, I don't ask what they're being used for and just assume they're food. Were they spoken about as pets or livestock in the ad? That will sometimes tell you if they were wanting a good home or not for the birds. If I'm dead set against a bird being eaten (it's happened, I had 4 last year, 3 of which I found homes for and 1 I still have), I put specificly that he's looking for a new flock to call home and I'm usually picky about how people ask about him.

If they seemed more concerned with you taking them than where you were taking them, then it's likely they knew their fate. I'd advise just nor saying anything unless they ask

 

[Weeg]

1) do you let the person know you plan to process the birds? This individual has three roosters about 5 months old and only wanted hens.

Yes, I would tell them. I know that some owners would not want, or would refuse to give roosters to a person that plans on processing them. In the past that is exactly how I felt about rehoming my roo's. If they were going to be processed, I would prefer to do it myself.

2) do you let the birds settle for a few days prior to processing, or get right to it?

For biosecurity reasons, I would unload them right out of the car into a kill cone. You have no idea what disease this flock may be harboring, and the less time they spend on your property, the less likely your flock is to catch them. Of course, this may be more stressful for them which is unfortunate, but it does put your flock at less risk for infection.

3) for quarantining, how close can my flock get to these birds? I'm not going to allow direct contact, but should I have a "moat" so to speak.

I would keep/process them as far away from the flock as possible. A friend of mine is going to process another friend of mine's roos for her. I actually recommended she process them at the current owners house for biosecurity reasons. I know the current owner is not very biosecure, hence my recommendation. Of course, in your situation that isn't feasible, but it does show how far away is "safe" in my opinion.

4) post processing, depending on quarantine, would it be safe to compost the feathers in my run? Will the scalding more or less sanitize the feathers?

I'm not entirely sure if scalding will sanatize them or not, but I would dispose of the feathers else ware just in case. A lot of poultry diseases are carried on feather dander, so it puts your flock at risk.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1) do you let the person know you plan to process the birds? This individual has three roosters about 5 months old and only wanted hens.

I would not lie to them. I'd let them take the lead on that and not volunteer a lot of information. If it is important to them they should let you know.

2) do you let the birds settle for a few days prior to processing, or get right to it?
3) for quarantining, how close can my flock get to these birds? I'm not going to allow direct contact, but should I have a "moat" so to speak.
4) post processing, depending on quarantine, would it be safe to compost the feathers in my run? Will the scalding more or less sanitize the feathers?

I'll answer these together. Diseases and parasites can spread by them eating or drinking from the same sources, them pecking the ground where the other pooped or just walked on, by insects like mosquitoes or grasshoppers, or just floating in the air. Very few of us have the facilities or patience to do a true quarantine. That would involve changing clothes, especially shoes, when going from one group to the other, using different buckets to carry food and water to them, even storing food in different containers. The better your separation the better your quarantine. If neither flock has Marek's, it's not going to float on the air so a quarantine doesn't do much against that. If neither flock has Fowl Pox them mosquitoes can't spread it.

As far as letting them settle, I doubt many of us have a palate delicate enough to tell the difference. They should still be great.

I don't know what your land looks like or what is available as far as what you can do. I'd process them as soon as I could as far from the others as I could manage to minimize the chance of something spreading. If you are that concerned I would not compost the feathers in the run. The scalding water will not kill everything.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Thank you, all!

1) the ad was pretty much phrased: "got three roos and we only wanted hens", so I don't think there is any level of attachment. Versus: "looking to re-home". However, I know some people are very sensitive to killing animals.

2) sounds like there is no advantage to waiting. I'll start setting up and sharpening knives. I've only done broomstick method, so no cones to setup.

3) I'm only on an acre that my chickens roam. My "moat" idea, for clarification, was putting the three in their own setup then putting an additional barrier between them and my birds. I'm going to ask my neighbor if I can set them up for the short while they'll be around.

4) I'll just bag the feathers up and dump them in my parents cow field where none of her pretty go.