QUESTIONS...

[JenifferHartman]

Ugh.. I dont know who came up with the dead chicken around the neck thing. I have heard that too and it is just absurd to me.. Dogs are natural hunters if they are taught from the beginning to let them be you should not have any issues with them. No dead chicken required! Consistent training is all you need. Weimaraners are bird dogs and I have never had a problem with my dog harming my chickens.. can't say the same for my neighbors dog.. slowly introduce them and they will learn

 

[perchie.girl]

I had 2 EE roosters that grew up together along with 8 hens at the time. The roos got along fine until they reched sexual maturity, then it was a big mess. We ended up killing off the spare rooster because he had become human aggressive and rough with the hens.

I would avoid subjecting the hens to so many roosters. Overbreeding would be a concern..

Thats why you keep an eye on the flock.

become human aggressive and rough with the hens.

I would avoid subjecting the hens to so many roosters. Overbreeding would be a concern..

Huum another good point. Might mess with steady egg laying how about the broodyness of hins when have rooster mating vs no roostets?[/QUOTE]
Broodiness happens wether or not there are roos. When they go broody woe to the roo that tries to mate her.... When a hen goes broody they stop laying eggs... Its a hormonal change.

I was told i could tie a dead chicken around their coller and leave it till they stop trying to take it off one dude said a week. But i dont want to easte a chicken and would like to prevent such things though. Maybr if i try your method of one chick introduction one dog at a time or have my hubby and daughter hold them while i hold the chicken? geeee long week ahead!!

I dont subscribe to that method... Some dogs just should not be pressed into being "Good chicken dogs" Breed choice is first and foremost in determining if a dog can be trusted. Second comes training... I am not a trainer but I have had dogs for 59 years now....

My thought was so many roosters would injur the hens from overbreeding. I would separate the roosters but 1 for every 8-12 I think is the standard ratio.. less than that would cause overbreeding and more than that would be hard for one rooster to handle.
I have not yet experienced a broody hen. Mine are under 2 years old. I was hoping to be able to let my hens hatch their own chicks this year but that isnt looking promising so far.. anyway I can't manage to leave the feed store without bringing some home. I swear my husband is going to have me banned from the store

I heard 1 in 5-10 depending on the breed.... But those are only suggested ratios It really depends on the type of chickens you have.... If it were like he said two hens out of seven he was discussing dispatching the extras.

deb

 

[lisaleedy]

I know a place that has nothing but roosters.. id venture to guess.. fighter chickens... so dont think ill just give them away here.. maybe sell on ebay?? Hipe be someone just needing a breeder. id rather they meet a fast and hopfully painless death than where flogging will occure and a much slower death will happen.

 

[perchie.girl]

I know a place that has nothing but roosters.. id venture to guess.. fighter chickens... so dont think ill just give them away here.. maybe sell on ebay?? Hipe be someone just needing a breeder. id rather they meet a fast and hopfully painless death than where flogging will occure and a much slower death will happen.

There are several ways to rehome a rooster.... Craigslist is the first one I would choose.

There is a buy sell and give away section right here on Back Yard Chickens.

I live in an area where Cock fighting is done across the boarder.... This is a forbidden subject here at BYC. But I do know in fact they only use specific breeds for this.

You are right better to go to the stew pot. Its taken me twenty years now to even consider doing this for my own chickens. But yOu have to look into the amount of feed you have invested and the entertainment they have given you.... Better to have control to how they are dispatched.... That is a sensitive subject for many I just wanted to say it is an option.

deb

 

[lisaleedy]

There are several ways to rehome a rooster....  Craigslist is the first one I would choose.

There is a buy sell and give away section right here on Back Yard Chickens.

I live in an area where Cock fighting is done across the boarder....  This is a forbidden subject here at BYC.   But I do know in fact they only use specific breeds for this.  

You are right better to go to the stew pot.  Its taken me twenty years now to even consider doing this for my own chickens.  But yOu have to look into the amount of feed you have invested and the entertainment they have given you....  Better to have control to how they are dispatched....    That is a sensitive subject for many I just wanted to say it is an option.

deb

i know some people think of chickens as pets but we are keeping that many chickens for more than just as pets. but i am not crule either and besides i done told hubby he would have to do the job because we would have to be starving first to kill one chicken.

 

[bobbi-j]

There are several ways to rehome a rooster.... Craigslist is the first one I would choose.

There is a buy sell and give away section right here on Back Yard Chickens.

I live in an area where Cock fighting is done across the boarder.... This is a forbidden subject here at BYC. But I do know in fact they only use specific breeds for this.

You are right better to go to the stew pot. Its taken me twenty years now to even consider doing this for my own chickens. But yOu have to look into the amount of feed you have invested and the entertainment they have given you.... Better to have control to how they are dispatched.... That is a sensitive subject for many I just wanted to say it is an option.

deb

It is a sensitive subject, but I agree - I'd rather have control over how my chickens are killed. I know that when we process our birds, death is immediate and humane. Besides, after I've spent the time and money raising them, I'll be darned if I'm going to sell them for little or nothing or give them away!

i know some people think of chickens as pets but we are keeping that many chickens for more than just as pets. but i am not crule either and besides i done told hubby he would have to do the job because we would have to be starving first to kill one chicken.

It's not cruel to butcher your unwanted roosters. But, if that's not for you, maybe you can find someone who will buy them from you. Of course, when they leave your place, you no longer have any say in what happens to them so they may end up in someone else's stewpot anyway.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

I will be right there with ya on my first one or two. I will be on a fixed income within a few years and those chickens will probably be my only source for fresh meat and eggs. I will be hitting up Commmodities for pantry stuff..... Hard to live on Social Security and I have to get my plan of action going now.

deb

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Like people said over breeding would be a big concern. And even with less dominate roosters. Dominate bird not watching any lower order boys will jump at their chance. I had 2 last year that seemed to think if 1 mated other had to immediately to show the 1st guy. after about a week they got into a bloody battle and I stewed 1 the next day, when I found the aggressor. Took me a day because both were BA and look almost identical. They had my hens rather beat up in just a week. And dominate rooster was off with main flock and they would find the hens/pullets that were out by them selves. 1 roo would follow the other just to make sure he wasn't left out. I think after the week they caught on that mating hens was NOT the way to decide pecking order.
I have no issues now with 7 roosters but they have 45 hens so each has 6-ish split. Not perfectly even but it averages out and no aggression with hens or roosters.

 

[lisaleedy]

when is a good time to seperate roos if you have too many. my chicks are 5 weeks and nearly feathered out. do i have about two months or less.

 

[bobbi-j]

I kept my roosters (at the time I had about 25 each of cockerels and pullets) until they started chasing the pullets around. Poor girls were harassed so badly that they could barely eat or drink. When that started, I separated them and put them in one of my coop/runs.