So instead of chopping their heads off....

[cupman]

I have a couple roosters. I don't know what is with them, hyper-sexual to say the least. They are mating every 5 minutes all day long.. several of my hens have started to get raw spots on their back where the two roosters latch on. They are sons of my beloved rooster that I lost to a coyote. He was my first rooster and he was a respectable creature, feared nothing, protected his girls with all of his might. His two sons, however, are weaklings.. they run when I get close, the hens don't even follow or respect them.. most of the time the hens fight with them after getting mated with. I have three other roosters and I've just decided these two have got to go. Sad to kill the bloodline from my original rooster but I think it has to be done.

Anyways, I was considering just shooting them in the head with a .22 from about 5 feet away. I would just let it flop around and pick it up when it quit moving. Is there anything wrong or bad about doing it this way?

edit: my intention is to eat them.

 

[Stacykins]

Most people will cry out "overkill!" with this method, but I have no problem with it. I used it on a few cockerels for eating. Unlike having to catch them, hold them, and then whack their heads off, they literally don't know what hit them. So, assuming you are a good shot and there is nothing that can cause a ricochet where you are shooting, go for it!

 

[flockman]

I think that would work just fine. It is a little overkill.

The hens treat the young roosters like that because he is young. With a little time that would change. They just have to grow up. I'm in no way saying don't process them. We just processed 22 young roos we kept one that is large and meaty but in no way aggressive. They were bought for that purpose. I have a really great 2 year old rooster and a 4 month old rooster. The 4 month old acts as you describe. I am hoping he can learn from the old one. You might consider keeping 1 of your roos from that line and give him a little time.

 

[cupman]

Hmm I may give one of them a little more time. They just mate with the hens at a rate of probably five times that of the other roosters. I suppose that could be a pecking order kind of thing. By the time their father was their age (6 months) he was very large for his breed and fearless. I'm just afraid I am having too many males for my hens. I don't know my exact number of birds but I would guess I have around 30 hens and 5 roosters. Roosters I know for sure I have five. I'm just thinking maybe the girls are getting it too often because I have so many roosters.