practicality/issues extra birds hatched related to..

[tiki244]

I have been reading the psychology of hoarding thread with great interest, and a question came to me. In the spring, a lot of people are buying eggs to hatch. And hatching many many eggs. And also, a lot of new people are getting into chickens, as it has become more popular in the last few years. I am a relative newbie myself.

I am now thinning my flock for winter and also for the practical reason that I feel I would be better able to take care of a smaller number of chickens. And that the chickens would be better off too. But, I find it very difficult to kill roosters and am having a hard time finding suitable homes for some of my chickens. I do not want them to go to a 'bad'(for lack of better word) home and suffer. I have killed some of the roosters, but others are 'special' to me and I can't seem to kill them. One in particular is just too big for my hens. Each time I kill a rooster it is very difficult, and I feel sad and yet hardenned inside a bit more. Which is uncomfortable to me. I think it is more humane to kill them at home in a relatively 'peaceful' setting then to ship them off to the butcher and have them be scared.

So, anyway I am struggling with these issues myself of decreasing my flock. I believe I have a handle on it now, but could have been border line over my head. And am wondering if other people have insight into this.? How many people do you think have gotten over their heads with chickens and don't know what to do? What happens to all these unwanted chickens? What about the people that can't seem to kill their extra roosters? And the issue of tossing eggs that you find under an unwanted broody hen who has hidden in a really good spot?


I just hope there can be a good discussion on this and hopefully help out some people. I don't want this to be a contentious(sp?) issue or anything, but I think more than one person on here may be struggling with these issues.

 

[bt03]

I am going to have to thin out my flock for winter in about 2-3 more months. Yes I have my very favorite rooster but they are all special to me because I hand raised them all from day old chicks. I know that I can not and will not cull them but I also know that my hens need a break and it would be easier for us to care for a smaller number of chickens.

My solution? I am giving them to a neighbor that is also going to thin his flock in a few months. He is going to thin his flock by sending several roosters and only a few select hens to freezer camp. Yes it will be hard knowing where they are going but he is very efficient and clean when culling and he could also use the meat for his very large family. My husband knows which two large ones and which 2 small ones I would be crushed if we got rid of so when it is time to do the deed he is going to take the ones that I am not really attached to over because he knows how hard it would be for me to take them. It always helps to have a second voice of sanity around when you are dealing with a situation where you are very attached.

 

[tiki244]

bt03 that is a good solution. Nice that you have the neighbor that can do this humanely.

I have 5 roosters locked up in my smaller coop today and things are much more peaceful with my hens. One of these rooaters was on the chopping block yesterday and at the last minute I let him go. I hate playing GOD.

I am not at all sure what to do with these 5 roos.

 

[tiki244]

I knew someone who had roosters and extra chickens running all over their farm and some of the hens were ripped to shreds and died because of the roosters run rampant. And yet I have an extremely hard time with the killing of extra birds if I cannot find them a good home.

 

[mamawolf544]

I am a softie.

I quit naming my chickens years ago. I call them all Dinner or Buffet.

It took a long time, I really had to talk to myself, to eat my birds. I didn't eat my own eggs for about 7 years. They were all potential chicks. Silly I know but that is how it was.

Now I tell my whole family that we are good to the chickens, we feed and water them, give them treats, talk to them, pet them. They have a good life, so when the time comes they feed us in return.

I am lucky we have a very humane processing farm nearby that we take our chickens to.

But it is hard to do.

 

[goobhen]

I had to get rid of three roos, I tried and all I did was to make one pass out, my DH had to finish the job. I tried to find then homes, I couldn't. The two roos that I need to get rid of now, if someone wanted them & could process them, I would give them away. It is the way of nature, we eat meat, they are meat. My DH said he could not/would not eat them. I think down-sizing flocks is the right thing to do, if you feel like you have too many. I started out with 28 birds, gave away 15, got 12 more, got rid of 3 roos, had varmit kill 4, and one dropped dead. Fourteen of my chickens are 2 1/2 years old, three are 1 1/2 years old. I read in the Parade Magazine that comes with my Sunday paper, (last Sunday) after hens quit laying eggs, they are still good for your yard, they eat lots of bugs & provide fertilizer...

Still, I am in the same situation, I don't want more birds until these are gone! Next time i will get 9 hens, 1 roo.....I want 3 EE, 6 RIR, & 1 RIR roo! Good luck whatever you decide.

Mamawolf544, after I got rid of my 3 extra roos (Walawitz, Raj, & one unnamed one, I never named a chicken again!

 

[seminolewind]

Tiki, it sounds like you are having a hard time culling because for each chicken you need a good reason, not just "too many". The times I had too many , I would sell a roo with 2 hens , as a trio, non negotiable. Other times like now, I am just going to let the number decrease naturally. I can cull, but I need a good reason, like sick and suffering.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
I can see why you might think this way, like it's up to you who lives or who dies. But even thinking non-biblically, it's simply nature. One animal kills another, typically for food, but for protection or territory too. I think of what you're talking about as mercy killings - quick, humane death to help a situation. I think a quick, humane death (especially if used for food) is much better than living in a "bad" situation. Ideally, we'd all have old time farmer matter-of-fact outlooks when it came to animals as food. But that's not the way it is...

 

[tiki244]

Yes I did get rid of some roos with a hen(pairs). But I need to keep some hens.

Sem I was thinking of just letting them dwindle down, but I need to get rid of some more for winter. It froze hard here last night so my mind is on it. Now more than ever. And thanks for all your replies. I think I will get a handle on it and come down to the right number with some encouragement thanks.

I have been working on it for a while now (couple months)

As I earlier said I just wonder how many people are really over whelmed with this? Of course I don't know if they will post here.

It just seems like an important issue and I just have to wonder, especially after reading that hoarding thread, how many people have troubles reducing flock? I mean chickens are much easier to acquire than dogs and cats. And with all the eggs being layed they are so prolific. It just seems like there must be quite a few who have an overabundance of them.

idk maybe most just cull.

 

[tiki244]

Quote:
I can see why you might think this way, like it's up to you who lives or who dies. But even thinking non-biblically, it's simply nature. One animal kills another, typically for food, but for protection or territory too. I think of what you're talking about as mercy killings - quick, humane death to help a situation. I think a quick, humane death (especially if used for food) is much better than living in a "bad" situation. Ideally, we'd all have old time farmer matter-of-fact outlooks when it came to animals as food. But that's not the way it is...

Good point

At least I have become efficient at humanely killing them. But that one I let go yesterday is afraid of me now. So sad