Roosters....What Would You Do?

[drdoolittle]

I have a mixed flock of 27 hens and 5 roosters 1 Americana, 1 Polish, 1 Mille Fleur D'uccle and 3 silkies....all about a year old. They all get along just fine and I've never seen them fight at all. The flock free ranges on about an acre.

I have 2-3 hens with bare backs from the roosters mating them and 1 light Brahma hen (that has a scabbed over wound on the back of her head) who hides in the coop all day.

I had the "bright" idea of adding some hens and bought 5 young hens (3 light brahma, 2 cochin) from a lady near me. Unfortunately, she was wrong about the cochins and they are roosters!
So, I posted 6 of the roosters (the silkies, the cochins and the Americana) on Craigslist hoping they'd get good homes (which would leave me with the Millie Fleur D'uccle and Buff-laced Polish). A man emailed me and wants all 6, making me think he is just going to butcher them. I'm trying so hard to make an unemotional decision, but it's painful when these roosters are well-behaved and get on well. 2 of the silkies are comical in the way they are always together, strutting around the property side by side.

Pics of my boys I'm considering rehoming.

 

[DobieLover]

Create a bachelor pen and put all of the roosters and cockerels together away from the hens to give them a break and that will give you time to find homes for them if you don't want them going into someone's freezer.

 

[drdoolittle]

Create a bachelor pen and put all of the roosters and cockerels together away from the hens to give them a break and that will give you time to find homes for them if you don't want them going into someone's freezer.

Thank you! I was actually thinking of doing this.

 

[Shugercube]

I’ve nothing useful to say other than I feel you, and your Roos are gorgeous! I’m in a similar boat. All of mine are getting along ok for now, but I have a similar ratio as you, and I know it’s not going to last much longer before things hit the fan. I have a grand total of 44 birds, and (I think) a total of 9 male, which would leave 35 female, so not quite 4 hens per roo. Yikes.

I’ve already rehomed 2 of my definite Roos, and was crying the entire time I was typing out the listing, knowing the high potential for them to become someone’s free dinner. Thankfully I found someone who had tons of hens of the same breed, no roosters, and wanted them for breeding. But man. I was so emotional even just making the ad.

 

[drdoolittle]

I’ve nothing useful to say other than I feel you, and your Roos are gorgeous! I’m in a similar boat. All of mine are getting along ok for now, but I have a similar ratio as you, and I know it’s not going to last much longer before things hit the fan. I have a grand total of 44 birds, and (I think) a total of 9 male, which would leave 35 female, so not quite 4 hens per roo. Yikes.

I’ve already rehomed 2 of my definite Roos, and was crying the entire time I was typing out the listing, knowing the high potential for them to become someone’s free dinner. Thankfully I found someone who had tons of hens of the same breed, no roosters, and wanted them for breeding. But man. I was so emotional even just making the ad.

I'm so sorry, Shugercube! I hope I don't cry. The guy that wants mine said he wants them for breeding....his roos aren't doing the job because they love each other and don't care about the hens, lol.

I am probably keeping my Americana rooster, he's the top roo and the ladies love him. Parting with the cochins is only upsetting because I paid $10 a piece for them thinking they were pullets. The three silkies are adorable, but my hens seem to hate them, I really think they are most of my problem. I'll see what changes once those 5 are gone.

 

[bobbi-j]

How old are those Cochins? Have you heard them crow? Could just be that I’m looking at the picture on our phone, so not great quality, but I’m not seeing any pointed hackle or saddle feathers on those birds that would indicate a cockerel. I also don’t know Cochins, so there’s that…

ETA - I also only looked closely at the bottom picture. The others do look definitely like cockerels.

 

[drdoolittle]

How old are those Cochins? Have you heard them crow? Could just be that I’m looking at the picture on our phone, so not great quality, but I’m not seeing any pointed hackle or saddle feathers on those birds that would indicate a cockerel. I also don’t know Cochins, so there’s that…

ETA - I also only looked closely at the bottom picture. The others do look definitely like cockerels.

No, they haven't started to crow. When I posted pics on here asking, everyone who replied said they are roosters.
I'd hate to give them away if there's any chance they are pullets.

 

[drdoolittle]

Oh, also, the cochins are almost 14 weeks old.

 

[bobbi-j]

Oh, also, the cochins are almost 14 weeks old.

I would hang onto them until you know for sure. Have a plan to separate them immediately if they do start harassing your hens or start fighting with your confirmed males.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

At 14 weeks old, I'm thinking they're males. My barred gal is a year old and doesn't have wattles that large