Rooster or Hen?

[sourland]

Cruelty is allowing 5 roosters to overbreed 3 hens or allowing 4 roosters to subordinate and gang breed the fifth. Both of which are possibilities. There is nothing wrong with humanely killing and eating excess roosters or selling/giving them to someone who will utilize them humanely.

 

[TacticalRedneck]

Like @NikAndHerChicks said probably in about a month or so, but personally I think it's quite cruel to kill the roosters and eat them just because you have too many. It's killing an animal whose barely begun life. My suggestions are:

1. getting more hens
2. having a separate coop for the boys
3. or you find some good new homes for the excess roos

Cruelty is allowing 5 roosters to overbreed 3 hens or allowing 4 roosters to subordinate and gang breed the fifth. Both of which are possibilities. There is nothing wrong with humanely killing and eating excess roosters or selling/giving them to someone who will utilize them humanely.

I appreciate all the responses. My wife and I knew going into this we would be eating chickens. It was part of our goal. We are looking to be more self sufficient. We want hens for eggs and a rooster for future chicks. I don’t want my hens to be tortured by too many roosters and I don’t have the space or budget to have a bachelor coop. I don’t want to upset anybody or start an argument but is now the time for me to be culling some of these roosters? I was really hoping to wait to see their behaviors to see which guy to keep. Thanks

 

[mgbantams]

I appreciate all the responses. My wife and I knew going into this we would be eating chickens. It was part of our goal. We are looking to be more self sufficient. We want hens for eggs and a rooster for future chicks. I don’t want my hens to be tortured by too many roosters and I don’t have the space or budget to have a bachelor coop. I don’t want to upset anybody or start an argument but is now the time for me to be culling some of these roosters? I was really hoping to wait to see their behaviors to see which guy to keep. Thanks

How old are they? If they're getting along fine in the meantime, you probably should wait and see. Obviously, you would probably want to keep the least aggressive roosters. And there is nothing cruel about culling birds for the greater good of the flock.

 

[junebuggena]

Rainbow Rangers are big enough to start culling at about 14 weeks. The longer you wait, the tough the meat will be.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I appreciate all the responses. My wife and I knew going into this we would be eating chickens. It was part of our goal. We are looking to be more self sufficient. We want hens for eggs and a rooster for future chicks. I don’t want my hens to be tortured by too many roosters and I don’t have the space or budget to have a bachelor coop. I don’t want to upset anybody or start an argument but is now the time for me to be culling some of these roosters? I was really hoping to wait to see their behaviors to see which guy to keep. Thanks

18 weeks is the max time to butcher roosters if you want them to be tender at all. Otherwise, the pressure-cooker tends to be your friend. Best time to butcher should be about 12 weeks for most "ranger" breeds.

Handy hint--pen them in a dark place for twelve hours without food before butchering. If you didn't know, calm birds produce less stress hormones, which leads to tenderer meat.

Broilers tend to be less aggressive--I don't think you have to worry too much about behaviours. Which is your "boss" cockerel? The one with the reddest comb and the shiniest feathers? I'd keep him. From personal experience, the more confident roosters tend to be better boys. The ones that suddenly move up in the pecking order tend to get "little man syndrome."

 

[TacticalRedneck]

18 weeks is the max time to butcher roosters if you want them to be tender at all. Otherwise, the pressure-cooker tends to be your friend. Best time to butcher should be about 12 weeks for most "ranger" breeds.

Handy hint--pen them in a dark place for twelve hours without food before butchering. If you didn't know, calm birds produce less stress hormones, which leads to tenderer meat.

Broilers tend to be less aggressive--I don't think you have to worry too much about behaviours. Which is your "boss" cockerel? The one with the reddest comb and the shiniest feathers? I'd keep him. From personal experience, the more confident roosters tend to be better boys. The ones that suddenly move up in the pecking order tend to get "little man syndrome."

Yikes...by my calculations this weekend is 18 weeks...guess I know what I’m doing this weekend. This should be interesting for my first time.

 

[Table4Six]

I appreciate all the responses. My wife and I knew going into this we would be eating chickens. It was part of our goal. We are looking to be more self sufficient. We want hens for eggs and a rooster for future chicks. I don’t want my hens to be tortured by too many roosters and I don’t have the space or budget to have a bachelor coop. I don’t want to upset anybody or start an argument but is now the time for me to be culling some of these roosters? I was really hoping to wait to see their behaviors to see which guy to keep. Thanks

Would it be possible to post adds on craigslist of the roos you don't want to keep?

 

[Mrs. K]

I think the rangers will be better birds to eat, than just egg laying birds. If this is your first time with chickens, and especially if you have small children under the age of 5 at home, I would recommend culling all of the roosters. There is a learning curve to chickens. Roosters are a crap shoot, and they tend to attack children first. Inexperienced people, sometimes do not pick up on the cues that a rooster is getting ready to attack.

Give yourself a year, then either get a rooster (roosters are cheap) that is so nice they have been spared, or get some more chicks, and keep one of those roosters. Personally I like mutt hens, but pure bred roosters. A good rooster can have a positive long term effect on your flock.

Good luck. Mrs K