Topic of the Week - What do/can you do with unwanted roosters?

[Rocky Rhodes]

I found an immigrant family that buys all my unwanted birds. I posted a flyer at Tractor Supply and received a call. A small child was inquiring about my birds. I quickly realized the child was acting as an interpreter for his parents who were not fluent in English. We set up a meeting and they purchased all of my extra birds. They said they wanted to buy any extras that I had in the future. I have been selling them my surplus birds for several years now. They call me every so often to see what I have. Just advertise and sooner or later you will find someone who wants them. One mans trash...

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you live in the country or out in the wilderness, could you just relocate them and set them free? Of course predators would eventually get them but that would at least give them a fighting chance. Or is that unlawful?

Probably unlawful, though maybe permissible if on your own land or you have the landowner's permission. In some communities feral chickens are a nuisance. They spend money to try to control them. Mike Rowe did a segment on Dirty Jobs of trying to catch feral chickens, I think in Miami.

If you have the landowners permission go for it. That's your and their choice. But to just dump them in the wild or worse, in a rural area where they can be a nuisance to farmers' crops or gardens, is pretty irresponsible.

People dump dogs out here too often thinking they are giving hem a chance. One of three things typically happen. Coyotes catch them and eat them. The dogs starve to death and coyotes eat them. Or they start bothering farmers livestock and they get shot. When shot they typically get drug off were coyotes can eat them instead of going to the trouble to bury them.

 

[bobbi-j]

If you live in the country or out in the wilderness, could you just relocate them and set them free? Of course predators would eventually get them but that would at least give them a fighting chance. Or is that unlawful?

I can’t say if it would be unlawful or not, but it is irresponsible and unethical in my opinion. I’d rather give them a quick, humane death than have them without shelter or in a protected environment at night.

Predators don’t always kill first then eat. Sometimes they will rip into an animal before it’s dead. Raccoons will reach through fencing and rip wings and legs off living chickens. Opossums will start at the vent area and eat their way in. I think that’s much more cruel than a swift chop with a hatchet that kills instantly. Instead of having to fight for survival day after day, it’s one bad moment out of a good life.

 

[aart]

I found an immigrant family that buys all my unwanted birds. I posted a flyer at Tractor Supply and received a call. A small child was inquiring about my birds. I quickly realized the child was acting as an interpreter for his parents who were not fluent in English. We set up a meeting and they purchased all of my extra birds. They said they wanted to buy any extras that I had in the future. I have been selling them my surplus birds for several years now. They call me every so often to see what I have. Just advertise and sooner or later you will find someone who wants them. One mans trash...

That is Awesome!!
I assume they are eating them.

 

[Flockandfowl46]

I try to give away some but most of mine are food for the winter depending on what my Hatch rate is

 

[encoreman]

I have had this problem, I gave 3 pure bred BCM's away to a neighbor, they did eat 1, but then decided they wanted chickens so they kept 2. My DIL has had no problems selling her roosters, but she looks a lot better than me too.

 

[Akrnaf2]

I found an immigrant family that buys all my unwanted birds. I posted a flyer at Tractor Supply and received a call. A small child was inquiring about my birds. I quickly realized the child was acting as an interpreter for his parents who were not fluent in English. We set up a meeting and they purchased all of my extra birds. They said they wanted to buy any extras that I had in the future. I have been selling them my surplus birds for several years now. They call me every so often to see what I have. Just advertise and sooner or later you will find someone who wants them. One mans trash...

One question if I may, Do you eat chicken meat?
If the answer is positive please explain the logic of raising a wonderful, healthy birds that you know exactly how they have been rissen and selling them on a non profitble price to a stranger that will eat them and enjoy their health benefit while you will buy a chicken in the supermarket or a butchery ?
I NEVER sale my bird for a non profitble price.
I have sold a BPR cocerekl for 35$ and a pullet for 60$.
Less then that they go directly into my pot.

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

That is Awesome!!
I assume they are eating them.

One question if I may, Do you eat chicken meat?
If the answer is positive please explain the logic of raising a wonderful, healthy birds that you know exactly how they have been rissen and selling them on a non profitble price to a stranger that will eat them and enjoy their health benefit while you will buy a chicken in the supermarket or a butchery ?
I NEVER sale my bird for a non profitble price.
I have sold a BPR cocerekl for 35$ and a pullet for 60$.
Less then that they go directly into my pot.

I sell my surplus birds long before they are grown out. I do eat chicken, but not every meal. I sell my birds for their market value. Most of the birds that I raise are for my enjoyment, not my pot. I have raised chickens for the freezer, and that was some expensive meat.

 

[Wolfsbane]

I have 7 roosters, one lives at my neighbors and the others all live with my flock of hen's and ducks, I find that they don't really fight each other and often seem to choose to hang out together.

I don't have the heart to kill or sell them to someone who is just going to eat them

 

[mymilliefleur]

With the exception of a few cocks that I keep for breeding, all of my extra boys are raised for meat, even the d'Uccles. They are fed well and have a good life, and then a quick humane end.
I believe this is truly the best and most humane (not to mention economical) option for extra roosters.