Rehoming my flock :(

[jnbyoung]

I am at the point (frustratingly!!) where I know for sure I have two roosters of my 5 chickens. Now a chicken I SWORE was a hen, started crowing. None of the others crow yet.
So that makes is almost certainly 3 out of 5. I am in good standing with our neighbors, and there are no complaints, but "Bossy" is making quite a racket at 6am.

I've decided instead of re-homing 3 of them, and then being left with two, I'd like to start over entirely.

It's been tons of fun watching them grow (they're 9 weeks old or so) but I really wanted to have 4-5 hens, and not any worries of fertilized eggs and things just don't seem to be going my way.
If I give away the whole clan, it's a pair of white rocks, a pair of barred rocks and an EE roo. (Angelo, Pearl, Bossy, Penny, and Sammy).


What's my best option for re-homing them?

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Try freecycle or craigslist. I rehomed a pair of roos that way. Nice lady needed a replacement (and was willing to take the spare!) for her recently deceased rooster.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

If you gonna put them on CL, make sure you make it clear that to get the pullets for free, they gotta take the roosters . . .
Free chickens dont last long on CL . . .

 

[jnbyoung]

Thank you both. I'm just sort of mad because my husband just started to accept my chicken-crazyiness and now I'm losing my passion.
His reasoning - its a lot cheaper to buy eggs from the place down the street (they have a chicken farm so they're fresh). I guess I can't argue with him much anymore

Our first egg was gonna cost us about $70, lol...

 

[Farmington]

Quote:
You need to think about why you got into it in the first place. If I get eggs, it will be a bonus, but I just love chickens. They really are great pets!

 

[jnbyoung]

It was for the experience of raising our own food. We have a vegetable garden this year, and I was feeling earthy, and thought my girls would enjoy a pet that could also provide us with eggs

What dog can do that

?

The eggs are, in essence, a bonus indeed. Which is why I am even more frustrated since all of them were named, I was hand feeding them, etc. The ones that were the prettiest all turned into roos so it was kind of disheartening.

 

[gritsar]

In your situation I would definitely look into getting some sex links. Mistakes still happen with sex links, but they're rare.

 

[hensonly]

Quote:
Hm. I got TWO roos out of 15 sex link "pullets". Somebody wasn't paying attention at the hatchery. (I got mine from Agway, two years ago, so couldn't even call and complain to the source. I did tell the Agway owner, but what can they do? Not much!) If you do get sex links, order direct yourself, not through a farm store. How about getting pullets from your chicken-farm neighbors?

 

[Keara]

Quote:
Hm. I got TWO roos out of 15 sex link "pullets". Somebody wasn't paying attention at the hatchery. (I got mine from Agway, two years ago, so couldn't even call and complain to the source. I did tell the Agway owner, but what can they do? Not much!) If you do get sex links, order direct yourself, not through a farm store. How about getting pullets from your chicken-farm neighbors?

Sexing is not 100%. Most hatcheries will tell you they have a 90% success rate with sexing. You got just about average with 2 roos out of 15 chicks!

 

[schellie69]

I understand that getting eggs from the store might be cheaper then owning your own chickens but knowing what the chickens are eating how they are treated and cared for and knowing where your food comes from is priceless. I would see about if any farmers have some hens that you could buy or order from a breeder that has pullets but don't give up on having chickens they are a great hobby and the eggs they produce are way better for you then whats at the store. do some research on where store eggs come from Grit (magazine) had a really great article about how to tell what the egg carton is really saying with "free range" organic ect you would be surprise. I bought my 10 older hens from farmer and bout the other 4 as chicks at the farm store go my rooster from a byc member check craigslist and see if anyone is selling pullets good luck.