What do you do with all the males you get? Do you eat them? Just curious. I want to hatch some eggs, and 1 rooster would be nice, but what do you do with the rest of the roosters?
Give away usually to people who buy pullets. Eventually when I get too many, I'm butchering quail anyway, or they get too annoying they lose their heads. Most go for dog and cat food though not human food.
Occasionally someone wants a flock rooster, but mostly they go for meat. There are several ethnic groups in my area (asian, hispanic,middle eastern etc.), who like real food. Usually the grandmother comes out with her grandchildren and yells until they buy enough roosters for her to cook up. It's quite funny to watch actually. I just try not to get attached to the rooster chicks.
Do the math. The ideal ratio in a mixed flock is 1:10-12 hens. Factor in the many flocks owners do not want any roosters, or may not be able to have them. So there are positions as pets or flock husbands for maybe 10% of all roosters, a good 90% or more are surplus. It would be impractical, almost impossible, to keep every rooster you hatched unless you kept them each to their individual cage. And that would be an unpleasant existance for them. I think that most roosters have their purpose on a plate somewhere, on the table of a home with an appreciative family or in the kennel of a fortunate animal. And really, there are a lot worse things that could happen to a rooster than to enjoy a pleasant life and be quickly & humanely dispatched, then go on to nourish others.
Hello all, hatching as we speak...I got stuck with 7 roos my first flock out...out of 15...whew...telling you was awesome and beautiful boys but once they became of age, holy terriors...I had to find them homes...I placed an ad in here, in CL, twice...nothing...DH ok slaughter time...posted one more time on CL...found a woman that wanted all!!! I kept Big daddy, beautiful stud of man he is... infact hatching his kiddos tonight. but I also got rid of some beautiful roos just like him, I wish I could have kept them. This woman took 6 of them..keeps them together. and now she wants some chicks from me. The guy at the feed store also said he would buy them from me at 4.00 a chick...and resale them...so that helps. I have 10 buffs right now and looks like 4 are roos....and one CM roo, Im keeping BOOTS...has feathers on legs...they are 1mo old...and hatching tonight...ADDICTION
