Too many roosters....

[CPT]

Hi!

We used to have about about 12 hens, now we are down to 9, as four of them have been MIA. I found two of them recently (one in the haybarn with its feathers torn off, possible by a cat) and the other by a hawk. The others I just don't know I have four roosters and 9 hens. Two of the roosters I want to keep (they are a little bit older) but we'll have to figure out what to do with the other 2 roos, as they are 6 months old and hormonal teenagers! I just witnessed one hen yesterday getting assaulted by three roos! Ack! ~ ~ I'll have to do some quarantine. What has anybody used for quarantine? Dog house? Dog Kennel? I'm not very handy (building a separate tractor, coop, etc) All of our chickens free range around the property during the day.

Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!!

 

[Redhead Rae]

I have a bachelor pad that keeps the 13 roosters/cockerels that I have away from my hens and only keep two full grown roosters in with my 40+ girls. They are much happier that way. If there is excessive fighting or a bully in the bachelor pad, I cull the bully. Right now I have a 2 year old rooster in there that breaks up fights and keeps order. I would put all your boys in a bachelor pad and see what happens.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi!

We used to have about about 12 hens, now we are down to 9, as four of them have been MIA. I found two of them recently (one in the haybarn with its feathers torn off, possible by a cat) and the other by a hawk. The others I just don't know I have four roosters and 9 hens. Two of the roosters I want to keep but we'll have to figure out what to do with the other ones. I just witnessed one hen yesterday getting assaulted by three roos! Ack! ~ ~ I'll have to do some quarantine. What has anybody used for quarantine? Dog house? Dog Kennel? I'm not very handy (building a separate tractor, coop, etc) All of our chickens free range around the property during the day.

Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!!

The answer to all problems of "too many" starts with a huge kettle of chicken noodle soup.

Good luck,

I need to make about 100 gallons of soup myself....way too many roosters here.

 

[DobieLover]

Is there any space in the hay barn you could put up and quick fence to keep the boys in while you are looking to rehome them?

And 2 roosters for 9 hens may still be too many. You might want to get more ladies or just keep your most polite boy.

 

[aart]

Very true...I'm going to have to quarantine these two teenage roosters in a dog kennel for now.

Not quarantine... but segregation/separation/seclusion/isolation.
But, Yes, get them away from the girls.
I'd eat them.

 

[CPT]

Very true...I'm going to have to quarantine these two teenage roosters in a dog kennel for now. Our hay barn is pretty full of hay, so there's really no place to fence off in there. Some of the hens are stressed out because of the many roos; and egg production is very low, as we've been having warm temps lately, but they're not producing. I know it's winter but I remember the hens producing a good amount of eggs during the cold months last year. This past summer we had SIX roosters! We had a friend who wanted them, and they went in a stew pot.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have a bachelor pad that keeps the 13 roosters/cockerels that I have away from my hens and only keep two full grown roosters in with my 40+ girls. They are much happier that way. If there is excessive fighting or a bully in the bachelor pad, I cull the bully. Right now I have a 2 year old rooster in there that breaks up fights and keeps order. I would put all your boys in a bachelor pad and see what happens.

I have a bachelor pad, this time of year, all the hens are inside breeding pens....BUT I still need to permanently remove the excess roosters at some point....I bought an electric meat grinder to help tenderize the older boys.....

I had a hen escape her cage/pen the other day. The boys were after her so fast, she could not get back in her pen fast enough when I opened the door.

Very true...I'm going to have to quarantine these two teenage roosters in a dog kennel for now. Our hay barn is pretty full of hay, so there's really no place to fence off in there. Some of the hens are stressed out because of the many roos; and egg production is very low, as we've been having warm temps lately, but they're not producing. I know it's winter but I remember the hens producing a good amount of eggs during the cold months last year. This past summer we had SIX roosters! We had a friend who wanted them, and they went in a stew pot.

Pullets will lay all winter, hens do not seem to have that inclination.

 

[duluthralphie]

All the chickens here free range. I do my utmost to manage the various groups so there are hens for the roosters and housing for each group. Sometimes things go wrong and I end up with either a hen, or a rooster shortage.
I decided many years ago that once these creatures were free, then I wouldn't contain them unless it was impossible to avoid it; injury is the usual exception.
If your intention is to get more hens quickly if that's possible then maybe separating these roosters from the flock on a temporary basis is the best option. If you plan on keeping them contained, perhaps for the rest of their lives, then my view is having been free containment is cruel and I would kill them.

I have my birds free range all year, other than breeding season. I have my roosters and turkeys free ranging now. However, they are lazy and dislike the cold so they refuse to leave the coop. Yesterday I had 3 turkeys (out of 25) wander 3-5 feet from the door... and one rooster ran towards me when I slipped on the ice....But he just wanted the eggs that broke on the ground.....He is on the list, now, to try out the new meat grinder.

 

[CPT]

Well, we decided to give our 2 teenage roosters to a friend of ours, since he has the processing equipment. I'll isolate them in a dog kennel later on this week. There is too much over-mating going on. I feel bad for my poor hens. I will keep our 2 older roosters, as we have 9 hens. Our Rhode Island Red roo, who is about 2 years old now, is very aggressive; he has a love / hate relationship with me. He's spurred me a few times, so I put him in his place when he does that. But he's a good roo, and he does a great job protecting the flock. He would totally challenge a hawk, if need arises. My other roo, who is a year old, looks like a giant Legbar. He's just a big love and he likes to be picked up, so he's a gentle boy. He's good at protecting the flock too. Gotta keep him. ~ I'm thinking about getting more chicks in the spring, probably from a hatchery, all females, hopefully. That will even out the roo to hen ratio here. I just can't deal with any more roosters.

 

[Shadrach]

All the chickens here free range. I do my utmost to manage the various groups so there are hens for the roosters and housing for each group. Sometimes things go wrong and I end up with either a hen, or a rooster shortage.
I decided many years ago that once these creatures were free, then I wouldn't contain them unless it was impossible to avoid it; injury is the usual exception.
If your intention is to get more hens quickly if that's possible then maybe separating these roosters from the flock on a temporary basis is the best option. If you plan on keeping them contained, perhaps for the rest of their lives, then my view is having been free containment is cruel and I would kill them.