Rooster Rehoming Dilemma - Suggestions?

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i am wondering if anyone has any ideas that i have not tried yet to find my three roosters a home. i have posted on craigslist numerous time. Even though i am extremely clear in my wording "Three Roosters!" i got one guy who wrote "i'll take your hens". i wrote back and said i only have three roosters, no hens. He wrote back "oh no, i can't have roosters where i live". Obviously they don't know how to read where he lives either.

i had another guy write that he would take one of them, but after numerous emails back and forth, and failed attempts at setting a meeting, i realized he was just messing with me. Hey, thanks a lot, buddy.

i have also posted many times in another local online classifieds where you have to give your phone number as contact info. Just got a man calling the other day saying "i will take your chickens. Call me." Then didn't leave a phone number. i'm sorry, but he just failed the intelligence test for having chickens.

i thought i had a good option when i ran into a woman who worked at a local petting zoo. She said she would take the roosters and give them a good home and they would never ever be killed or eaten, just used for educational purposes. i checked out the petting zoo, and while it was not the best situation, at least better than ending up as dinner. But then when we finally talked on the phone, she said she needed some of my hens, too. i told her i only have the roosters to find homes for, and am keeping my hens. She said she wanted my roosters to make babies and had to have some hens. i told her my hens were too young and wouldn't be laying for months. So then she wasn't going to take the roosters afterall. Right, like i'm going to just hand over my entire stock to a stranger after all my hard work this summer. The nerve of some people(!).

The local feed store did take two of my roosters about a month ago, but they are still there, so not sure they will be able to take on anymore. Going to go check today, buy a lot of supplies from them, and beg. i have written to several farm animal rescue organizations in California, offering to make a nice donation if they would take them. i'm running out of options here.

Anyone from California know of any rooster rescue or farm animal rescue places i might check with. Would anyone want them if i could arrange for shipping? i have one white silkie roo, one buff silkie roo, and a frizzle x silkie, polish, japanese, mille fleur mix roo. The two silkies could go together, but the frizzle guy has to go alone as he fights with the other two. Any suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated.

Here they are, in case anyone might be tempted to take them.

 

[picklespickles]

they probably dont' want just a rooster by himself for the same reason you don't.

i would say you need to go with the market on this one and get rid of them with a hen at the same time. if the feed still has two, you don't have to worry about them for right now, just for the remaining.

i think if you need them to go as pets, then you need to raise the incentive to people and help them out a little so they will want to help you out a little.


good luck!

 

[common coop]

I feel your pain! After maybe three months of advertising Caruso - the oldest of my three tenors, someone came this weekend to pick up two hens - and decided she had room for such a handsome rooster. A stroke of luck. Don't give up -- someone out there will respond. You might want to consider more seriously offering a hen or two with a roo -- for those folks wanting to start up - with a package deal. How many hens have you got? Also consider the power of pictures at the grain store... Good luck.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i actually did advertise the japanese/mille fleur roo at one point with a lady, and no takers. But the thing is, i really want to keep all my ladies. i only have ten and have raised them from babies, some from eggs, and i love them all. If i offered a hen or two with each rooster i would end up with only four hens left after a summer of hard work. Plus i was thinking, what if someone takes some hens and a roo, then just ends up culling the roo?

 

[Chellester]

Do you have a poultry auction in the area? That's how I cull my extra roosters.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:
i don't know. Not even sure how to find out if i do. ? ? ?

 

[picklespickles]

i was saying offer one chicken with the one you have remaining and not worrying about the feedstore ones for right now, (unless the guy has contacted you and said you are going to have to take them back.)

realistically, you are actually asking people to do you a favor by taking a rooster and not eating him. he won't generally make a good pet, he won't produce anything of value like eggs, and he is likely even if he is a pleasant rooster to still give them a bloody leg at some point. also, of course, you aren't going to want them to fight him (i wouldn't either.)

so, they need to feed and house an animal who is not cuddly, not sweet natured and will probably annoy their neighbors with his crowing. lol.

okay. i can't stop laughing.

you *really* gotta give them something for this.

you probably don't have enough eggs yet to offer a dozen free with rooster, but something. i reallly thing you gotta offer a deal that is advantageous to them and not just you.

take care

 

[Chellester]

Some large animal livestock auction yards will have one day a week were they will hold a poultry auction.

Call the yard closest to you; even if they don't hold a poultry auction, they most likely will be able to direct you to one who does.

Edited to add: With this option, there's no guarantees your roos will not end up on someone's dinner table. It's the price of being able to unload them easily.

 

[Kristina]

If I had room for another roo I would take your buff he's pretty!

 

[hsm5grls]

They are very pretty roo's especially the red one. I would take one if I lived closer and DH would not have a heart attack. They are so pretty someone will want them.