Roosters

[jkoselke]

Hello Everyone!

Quick questions...I bought 6 chicks in December hoping that all 6 would be hens. Well three months later now I have 3 hens and 3 roosters. Here are my basic questions:

1. How long will the rooster get along together in the coop? They only free range about 2-4 hours a day.
2. I assume that I will eventually have to send at least 2 of the roosters on down the road. I can't eat them myself and can't stand the thought of someone else being cruel to them. Any suggestions as to where I send them or find homes for them?
3. Is one rooster too much for my three hens? My grandma said he will run those hens ragged! And if he does the fertilize the eggs, if collected the day they are laid, can you still eat them?

I appreciate any help!
Thank you!
Jen

 

[clairabean]

If they are raised together from chicks they MAY be ok together. No telling how they will be once they get full puberty. Some swear by seperating them, while others swear they live great together. Depends on the individuals. You can find them new homes on Craigslist or any other advertising site near you.

One roo per three hens may be ok. But definitely NOT three roos per three hens.

Fertilized eggs are perfectly fine to eat. I'd dare say that MOST backyard chickeners have fertilized eggs. It takes days under a warm environment (broody hen or bator) to start developing.

 

[Higins00]

I agree, it depends on the personality of the roo's but most likley they will not get along with only three hens. I would watch the one roo with the 3 hens, if he is agressive to them then he would have to go. If you keep one, keep the nicest one. The eggs are fine as long as no hens go broody on them. Try putting up a sign on the board at your feed store for free rooster. Good luck.

 

[jkoselke]

Thank you for the quick reply!

They are already having mini face-offs but they aren't long lasting or terrible...yet.
Do you think that most people that find roosters on Craigs list have the intention of eating them? Is there a fair price to set?
I thought the eggs would be fine, just wanted another opinion!

Jen

 

[todtrac]

Good Luck.. I did the same thing having nine hatchlings, out of the nine eight turned out to be roosters...ugh!!.. I kept them all together for about 18 weeks.. then all heck broke loose... they all ganged up on the alpha male and picked his crop to shreds... I had to get rid of all but two.. it was chaotic, blood fest... I saved the alpha male, he was my favorite... I actually sold the other six roos to a fisherman, bothered me at first, but what a difference in the coop with only the two roos.... peaceful again!.. Good Luck, I found it was hard to give away the roos to another coop, but easy to sell for dinner!

 

[WhetzelMomma]

1. How long will the rooster get along together in the coop? They only free range about 2-4 hours a day. I agree it will depend on the roosters. If they settle into a good pecking order, you'll most likely have best success at keeping them together for a while.
2. I assume that I will eventually have to send at least 2 of the roosters on down the road. I can't eat them myself and can't stand the thought of someone else being cruel to them. Any suggestions as to where I send them or find homes for them? Craigslist. Mention in your ad that you are OK with the idea that they may end up going for butcher.
3. Is one rooster too much for my three hens? My grandma said he will run those hens ragged! And if he does the fertilize the eggs, if collected the day they are laid, can you still eat them? Also agree that this will depend on which rooster you keep. I have a very docile rooster that did fine with a small number of hens, however over breeding and roughness are definitely possibilities with such a low # of hens. Since you originally planned to have 6 hens, you might consider finding a source for pullets and getting a couple more girls to lighten the load so to speak.

You most definitely CAN eat the eggs you get from your chickens. Fertile eggs are sold for consumption even in grocery stores. (do a search here for hatching eggs from Trader Joe's and Safeway and you'll see)

You might find this information helpful when deciding which rooster to keep: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4810

 

[Laigaie]

To answer your second question, I suspect that most folk getting roosters off Craigslist are intending to butcher them, unless you specify show-quality and charge a fairly good price for them (making freezer camp no longer cost-effective). Since these don't sound like that kind of rooster, there is a very good chance they'll be food.

 

[jkoselke]

Thank you all so much! I will ponder all the info and make the best decision for my girls!

 

[BreenyBeanie]

SO GLAD to find this thread! Thanks jkoselke !!!
We bought a small farm that came with 22 chickens. Well after the winter the boys developed out into rowdy, fighting, flogging Roos. We have 6 roos. Came in today to find blood smeared all over the feeder and two roos had torn up combs. They are badgering the girls and there are constant face offs all day long. It's just not a happy place.

We were thinking about making a bachelor pad for them but now I think the Craig's list option may be more efficient.

 

[OlyChickenGuy]

I train chickens professionally. I have only owned chickens for two years, but have had little else to do but to interact with them. I also rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home chickens. The only reason keeping more than one rooster is a bad idea is if you don't intend to take time out with them. If they are trained, and you spend time with them - conveying your dominance over the flock, making sure they're comfortable, safe, and have their needs met, etc. - they will be fine. The most chickens I've owned at any given point in time is twenty-seven and I've had two separate instances of owning seven roosters. Never had any issues with fighting or even crowing. Just takes time, and the ability to watch these guys and really learn what they're saying to each other so you can better communicate with them, yourself.