Too Many Cockerels

[Coffeebean1947]

This is a stupid question, but I ended up with 7 young roos. They are too young to eat, but are mean enough to require solitary confinement.
How does everyone else handle this??

 

[Rlmp817]

I would make a bachelor pad to grow them out and cull as needed, or when they get big enough.
What type of chickens are they?

 

[Evelyn Walker]

How old are the cockerels? I'm assuming there are hens around?

 

[Sea Wolf]

If they are big enough to be mean, they are big enough to eat. Go by size, not age. You don't even have to pluck them. Kill and remove the skin with feathers. Easy for things like Chicken a la King and other things that don't use chicken skin.

 

[Coffeebean1947]

Between a month and 2 months old. They are leghorn mixes.

 

[Coffeebean1947]

Yes there are hens around. I lost 4 teenage girls to these guys. My rooster tries to kill them. I wasn't sure if it was safe to do a bachelor pad situation. My kids freak out if they start fighting.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'd put them in a grow out pen and then fill the freezer.

 

[Coffeebean1947]

I'd put them in a grow out pen and then fill the freezer.

Sounds good, thanks

 

[aart]

Between a month and 2 months old. They are leghorn mixes.

I lost 4 teenage girls to these guys.

Really.... the 8 week old cockerels killed other birds(how old is 'teenage'?)?? Maybe a space issue?

I slaughter cockerels at 12-16 weeks when still tender enough for the grill(crispy skin-mmmmm!) and before they start trying to mount and fight.

 

[Coffeebean1947]

They were all within a week of age. I had two cockerels and 9 7 week old girls in the same coop. I think it was a combination of the boys keeping them from the food and fighting over them. I moved the boys out and added 4 more girls and a bantam cockerel with no problems.