Should I Sell the Roos Now or Wait Till They're Grown?

[chicksgalore]

They're about 6-7 weeks old now and I'm just wondering from any with experience if I would make out better selling them now or waiting till they're full grown? I know someone who sold 1-y-o's at auction for $5.50 a month or so ago. Don't know what I'd get now.

 

[wadek2008]

By the time they're 1 y/o you'll almost definitely have more than $5.50 worth of feed in him and you have to put with having them chase the hens of you dont want that when they mature. Id sell them now.

 

[SpringChickens]

Agreed... either sell them now, or eat them in 10 weeks.

 

[gritsar]

I sold my extra roos as soon as I was certain they were roos (7 weeks old). No sense using up the extra space or feed for a critter you don't intend to keep.

 

[NurseNettie]

IF it were me, I'd sell now-- feed is expensive, and they eat a LOT. We eat our extra roos, so, we'll feed ours for now. If we didn't, they'd be gone as soon as we knew they were roos.

 

[mediazeal]

Who are you selling to?
I have Barnevelder and Golden Penciled Hamburg 3 week old chicks and don't know what to do with the roos.
I have Golden Cuckoo Marans in the incubator as well.
I think I have 4 Barnevelder cockerels and maybe 3 hamburg cockerels that will be ready for a home in 3 or 4 weeks.

I'd love to find them a home, not a stew pot or have them be fed to a snake by someone on craigslist.

Anyone have any ideas? is it something I can start on now?
I'm happy to give them away to someone who would give them a good life.

(I did place my one Golden Cuckoo Maran cockerel on a farm with ONLY pullets, so he has a good place to go when he is old enough)

 

[chickenguysmom]

I would like to know also. What do others do to sell/give-away cockerals that they can't keep? I think the obvious has already been stated (kill, eat), but what are the other options. Consider keeping and killing/eating already covered.

Thanks

 

[aidenbaby]

I gave away a pair (pullet and rooster) for free to another BYCer. I included the pullet because he was a sweet boy with an injury and we can't have roosters here. If I were in a position to have more chicks, I would fully understand eating the roosters and would probably take them to be rendered myself.

 

[chicksgalore]

As for giving them away, you could advertise on craigslist but state your terms--happy home only--or whatever. I saw someone who wanted you to reply with your intentions (it was for another animal but same reason). I sold a rooster to a supposedly good home on there once.

We put the last ones we raised in the freezer but we didn't like that they had eaten the regular feed/corn the other chickens had gotten so until we are able to separate them/feed them differently, we're going to sell them.

As for these roosters, I'm going to take them to auction and see how we make out. I admit, it does bother me a little bit sending them off and not knowing where but it bothered me a little bit when they got butchered, too. Hey, it's all part of the plan though. I guess maybe I'm better off not knowing in a way...

 

[mylilchix]

Our estra roos are heading to the processor and freezer once they're big enough. I figure I might as well use them for something.