Rooster dumping - with ordinance change

[Sailaway806]

We are working to change the ordinances in our county (Hillsborough in FL). City of Tampa allows for hens based on lot size but the rest of the county is only if zoned AG. There are a couple of chicken rescues in the area and while not opposing the ordinance change possibility, they are very concerned that a change would also result in more roosters being dumped and won't fully support it until there is a plan to handle unwanted roosters. Each rescue has a large number dumped each year either from people that have chickens under the radar or in hen-only approved areas. Any areas that have dealt with this with a successfully? Or how big of a problem this might be and what can be done to help prevent it.

 

[Acre4Me]

I don’t think you can prevent it bc even if everyone bought sexed pullets, approx 10% would be accidental males. Others want males for fighting or for their flock, and some people are just rule breakers by nature (you tell them no, they will do bc you said no). So the plan has to be around dealing with roosters. Rather than prevention.

whrn an unwanted rooster shows up here, we sell it at a livestock auction, others post an ad on CL, some post adds at feed stores. We have no problems selling the males. Yes, some people will Sometimes buy them to butcher. When I’ve taken males to auction, I put them separately in disposable cages (cut down cardboard box and chicken wire) For great visibility, labeled with hatch date, and breed, sometimes egg color genetics, and have always sold for a high enough price that I don’t think they are being purchased for food -if that matters to you.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Feed them to the hungry.
Access roosters aren't the problem. The problem is people thinking chickens are just pets and its wrong to eat them.
The idea of chicken rescues are ridiculous. A lot of hungry families out there and people want to worry about what to do with access roosters.

 

[Sailaway806]

Feed them to the hungry.
Access roosters aren't the problem. The problem is people thinking chickens are just pets and its wrong to eat them.
The idea of chicken rescues are ridiculous. A lot of hungry families out there and people want to worry about what to do with access roosters.

We are in an urban setting and most people do not know how to process a chicken and do think of them as pets. So as long as people are getting chickens - there is going to be unwanted roosters and even hens dumped when they get bored or they are not cute little chicks. It sucks....but it happens.
Where I used to live - we had chicken swaps and auctions within a short drive. You could unload excess chickens with no issue. Around here - I think the closest is about 2 hours away. Instead people dump them.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Well people that dump them do it because they're lazy and selfish.
It doesn't take much work to put an ad on CL but some people don't want the hassle of doing that. They don't want to spend any time or effort to rehome them and have no concern for what will happen to them after they're discarded.
Even in urban areas someone will take a free chicken if you don't mind it becoming a meal.
I agree a lot of people don't know how to process one but I can guarantee you some do.
There's some ethic groups that its real common to not only know how but prefer it over going and buying a cut up chicken from the store.
There's no excuse except being unwilling to put out the effort.