Roosters in town and sex links

[bigz1983]

There are plenty of people looking for roos to expand their own flocks that rehoming is a perfectly acceptable option for unexpected roos. Why exactly would we toss cockerels that are barely developed into the fryer when other people want them for reproductive purposes and are willing to let them become full grown before sending them to the dinner table?

Look it all boils down to this..
I think that people who live in towns that have ordinances against roosters should take better measures to prevent getting roosters.
If that offends you then please don’t post on this thread.

 

[ellend]

Vent sexing chicks is difficult; even experts with years of professional experience are fooled about 8% of the time. Chicks can be VERY easily damag ed by vent sexing. I bought sexed chicks...still got one Cockrel ( out of 3 chicks) and I'm suspect about another. Why not buy older birds? I'm not in this for the eggs, other than to boycott factory farms. My bantams (no pro sexing available) were purchased older, to be sure of sex. This time I wanted to have chicks, so I bought standards who could be vent sexed. My chickens are pets; I wanted friendly breeds. I was not careless or thoughtless. I am well educated, and do my homework ahead of time. Considering what happens to unwanted male chicks at hatcheries, if I am forced to kill my Cockrel he will have had a better life and certainly a more humane death than at a hatchery, where grinding or suffocation in a bag of discarded chicks is prevalent. Am I going to try to find a safe home for him, first? You betcha. Am u sad that I might have to kill him? Yes, definitely!!!

 

[bigz1983]

Vent sexing chicks is difficult; even experts with years of professional experience are fooled about 8% of the time. Chicks can be VERY easily damag ed by vent sexing. I bought sexed chicks...still got one Cockrel ( out of 3 chicks) and I'm suspect about another. Why not buy older birds? I'm not in this for the eggs, other than to boycott factory farms. My bantams (no pro sexing available) were purchased older, to be sure of sex. This time I wanted to have chicks, so I bought standards who could be vent sexed. My chickens are pets; I wanted friendly breeds. I was not careless or thoughtless. I am well educated, and do my homework ahead of time. Considering what happens to unwanted male chicks at hatcheries, if I am forced to kill my Cockrel he will have had a better life and certainly a more humane death than at a hatchery, where grinding or suffocation in a bag of discarded chicks is prevalent. Am I going to try to find a safe home for him, first? You betcha. Am u sad that I might have to kill him? Yes, definitely!!! Is that cause for your ire?

Look it all boils down to this..
I think that people who live in towns that have ordinances against roosters should take better measures to prevent getting roosters.

 

[Trevorusn]

The chances of getting 100% pullets out of a batch of straight run chick is slim.
So yeah you should know your getting roosters.

Out of 4 chicks from a straight run this April, I got 4 pullets. Getting a roo is never a sure bet. Keep those roo Craigslist ads coming!

 

[ruchelle]

This is my second batch of purchased ens; one batch turned out to be 4 roosters and one hen. Second batch 4 hens but still one rooster. Inspite of hand raising him with generous treats and lap time, he is the spawn of satan. He attacks me and hubby any time we go within a country mile. We didn’t want to cull him so we no longer let him out of his run. We have guillotine ‘doors’ that we can separate him from the hens to let them out or tend the feeders/waterers. I simply do not have the guts to kill him so there he is.

 

[bigz1983]

I got a idea for a new business with all the free roosters out there.
What do you think?
I could live off the free meat!

This is just a rough idea for the ad.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I don't disagree with you, but I think people are just answering your question:

My question is if someone lives in a town that doesn't allow roosters than why would they get one in the first place?
Why not get a color sex link like a ISA Brown, Black sex link, cream crested leg bar, barred rock etc?

There are times when even when getting sex-linked birds (when bins are mislabeled) and autosexing breeds (that don't have infallibility) result in ending up with unwanted roos. Others are saying that if that happens, it seems reasonable to try to rehome them on Facebook or Craigslist or wherever. It's also reasonable to eat them, if that's a person's choice. I don't see a lot of disagreement here. I doubt folx who can't have roosters go out and get roosters purposefully.

A friend of mine ordered 12 pullets from a reputable hatchery. She got 3 extras, 2 of which were males. She didn't want them, didn't order them, didn't pay for them. What should she do? Just not order chickens at all? Now *that* seems unreasonable when she took all steps necessary to ensure she got pullets.

Now, in my case, I have no excuses. I wanted bantams. I ordered sexed pullets from MPC, but they all died in shipping. So I got three from a straight run bin at the feed store. I ended up with 2 cockerels. I wasn't intending on keeping them, but I will. But I live in a rural area and I can have roosters.

I also have a chihuahua. But that's immaterial I think because my house is a permanent structure.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'll be retiring early, and hubby and I are considering making a sanctuary for spent battery hens. Maybe we'll make bachelor flocks with unwanted roosters, too, away from the ladies. I'll let everyone know if it comes to fruition.

 

[bigz1983]

I'll be retiring early, and hubby and I are considering making a sanctuary for spent battery hens. Maybe we'll make bachelor flocks with unwanted roosters, too, away from the ladies. I'll let everyone know if it comes to fruition.

How about part of the proceeds go to a soup kitchen?

 

[Aunt Angus]

How about part of the proceeds go to a soup kitchen?

Not where we are retiring. Soup kitchens won't accept that type of donation. Too many variables - might end in a lawsuit.