Ugh! Stupid young rooster...

[Shezadandy]

So, I have been trying to find a taker for my Welsumer, so far unsuccessfully.
Then I called a feed store and they are actually buying your unwanted rooster from tou and reselling it. They will be held in a small cage untill a buyer is found. My question is: Do you think this is unnecessarily cruel? He certainly is used to a much nicer life and I am worried he might get really scared. I am wondering if it would be more humane to give him to someone who would just break his neck and make him a meal? But if he goes to the store he might have a chance to go to some place where he can be a happy roo...
Or maybe not and then we will just have had him suffer needlessly...
What do you think?

Have you put him under the 'free' section on craigslist? That's what we wound up doing. Everyone who responded (made it email only, no phone) "I want your rooster" ... and that didn't take long- because ours (Welsummer too) was pretty nice to people and hens, I responded to inquiries politely asking if they want him for the flock or for the table... nobody replied back until the person who wanted him for a flock ... now, I fully realize people can lie straight to your face, take your rooster and put him on their table, but that was the most productive way-- re-homed two within a couple weeks that way.

If he's not got a desirable personality for a flock roo, then just 'free rooster'. I would be very concerned about the feed store route. Think of all that goes into quarantine to keep birds healthy when bringing them from one flock to the next ... and then consider that they're going right next to other roosters from other flocks in small holding cages- very easy to transmit disease that way, to say nothing of the stress of being caged in a strange place.

If you're OK with him being meat, then I agree wholeheartedly with ShanandGem's suggestion about having someone do the deed if you cannot face it to make it the best case scenario for him.

 

[lpyrbby]

Depending on what kind of prices they are selling their roosters for, people may just be buying them to eat and so he will spend time in a small cage in a stressful environment only to meet the same end. It is likely that is the end he is going to meet, sadly. It sucks to be an extra rooster.
Do you not know someone who can take care of the deed for you, and keep the meat? Honestly, I believe that is the most humane option of all. Let him live the remainder of his life in a familiar environment and dispatch him humanely.

ETA: I recently was having a struggle of my own with my BCM cockerel. Then I started thinking like a chicken. His hens love me and follow me around like puppies. I talk to them and throw them treats as I am feeding the other coops. To him, this looks like wife stealin' and tidbitting for HIS girls. Of course he's going to go after me; I'm a threat to his flock as he knows it. Now I feed all the coops in their area first, feed them and open their door and walk away to feed the coops on the other side of the yard. He gets 5-10 minutes to get his girls organized and settle down outside before I return to store my feeding wagon away. We have a much better relationship because of it. I still make him get out of my way when moving around the yard but he doesn't seem as edgy around me now.

In response to your edit, that's an interesting observation. I only have one roo, but my routine in the morning is to walk into the run, toss out some veggies and stuff, open their coop and let the birds have at it. I walk away from them and go scrape the roost while everyone is stretching their legs. Then I come out of the coop and toss down some of their scratch vittles and take some time to observe before I leave. If I have time, I'll offer up some of the treats for hand feeding which Ringo readily comes to and dines on as well. I don't really have any sort of problem with him and I have to wonder now if this has inadvertently contributed. It's worth consideration, for sure.

 

[Stephine]

In response to your edit, that's an interesting observation. I only have one roo, but my routine in the morning is to walk into the run, toss out some veggies and stuff, open their coop and let the birds have at it. I walk away from them and go scrape the roost while everyone is stretching their legs. Then I come out of the coop and toss down some of their scratch vittles and take some time to observe before I leave. If I have time, I'll offer up some of the treats for hand feeding which Ringo readily comes to and dines on as well. I don't really have any sort of problem with him and I have to wonder now if this has inadvertently contributed. It's worth consideration, for sure. 

That's what I used to do, until one day he unexpectedly knocked their grit bowl out of my hands. Now I have to lock them out of the coop or he will come at me when I am in there. In the run, when I thought I had reassured him that I was not a threat and he had been behaving ok for a while, one day he just came running after me as I exited the pen... I would maybe keep working with him if I didn't have another roo who is unproblematic...
I will try the free section on craigslist, I have listed him in the farm section before...

 

[Stephine]

Thank you! I didn't feel good about the feed store deal and am glad to get tour opinions on it. It will be my last resort then. Hopefully craigslist will do the trick!

 

[Stephine]

Update:
I finally took Apollo to the feed store today, and set him in a small cage with a wire floor, feed and water and nothing else, all by himself. I feel bad that I ended uo having to go with the last resort solution after all. I tried craigslist, facebook and feedstore measage boards and nothing. Craigslist brought a few responses but all of them were o shows. Made me wonder what those people actually responded for - bizarre.
Anyway, I am glad I could catch him relatively easily (cornered him with a harvest basket and pushed him down on the ground then grabbed him), and that he is out of the flock. Everyone seems a bit calmer already - maybe not so surprising now that they don't have the rivals in there getting into tiffs all the time. They took themselves to bed just fine without their former top roo, too.
Three of the hens have lost feathers on therlir backs - I hope that will get better now, too - with less rooster attention and less of a racket while mating (one always running to knock the other off).
I just hope someone comes and springs him from that tiny cage soon...

 

[Shezadandy]

Geez, I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a rough time moving him along- but I'm glad your flock is already happier. I wonder if part of this is a regional thing- up here I've rehomed 6 roosters, 4 of them 2 weeks ago- without any issue- sometimes on the same day I put them up. Then again, they were young (oldest at 7mo) with no history of human/chicken issues. The first time we rehomed, we had 2 same-age roosters - when the other left, even though things weren't that bad between them -- everything was quieter- no more crow-offs, no more rooster 1 chasing rooster 2 around ... yep. The others were just about 13 weeks at rehoming (bad luck- 6 of 8 were cockerels!!) before all the "fun" began.

Hopefully he finds his way to the next home soon- you did what was right for your flock!

 

[Stephine]

Geez, I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a rough time moving him along- but I'm glad your flock is already happier.  I wonder if part of this is a regional thing- up here I've rehomed 6 roosters, 4 of them 2 weeks ago- without any issue- sometimes on the same day I put them up.  Then again, they were young (oldest at 7mo) with no history of human/chicken issues.  The first time we rehomed, we had 2 same-age roosters - when the other left, even though things weren't that bad between them -- everything was quieter- no more crow-offs, no more rooster 1 chasing rooster 2 around ... yep.  The others were just about 13 weeks at rehoming (bad luck- 6 of 8 were cockerels!!) before all the "fun" began.

Hopefully he finds his way to the next home soon- you did what was right for your flock!

Thanks Shezadandy! We are just north of Sonoma... I guess everybody already has their own slightly mean rooster around here. Most likely he'll go into someone's stew pot they told me, but maybe he will be lucky, he is VERY handsome as he is a Welsumer. But I really did what I could - keeping farm animals is tough that way. My hubby says that's why he sticks to his plants (he studied horticulture)!
It has been so quiet from the coop - no welcome crowing, no middle of the night because it's a full moon crowing, no crow- off this morning! The neighbors will be delighted!
All I care about is that my hens are happy...

 

[The Phantom]

Don't be afraid, just walk in like you own the place (Cause you really do) if he attacks you push him off to the side and ignore him. If he continues doing it grab him and hold him the entire time you are in the pen. This worked with one of my roosters. Don't be intimidated. Just remember how big you are and how small he really is.

 

[The Phantom]

So sorry to hear that

 

[adstowe]

Obviously not something you want to hear, but this has been my experience. The couple of time's I've had 2 roos and took out the head roo because he was an intolerable pain in the butt, the more passive roo saw that as his chance to step up and become the new tough guy on the block. I'd make it a point to maintain dominance over your current roo to discourage this and hopefully prevent it from happening at all. Now that rooster #1 is gone he is now going to be the top guy and it'll be easier to prevent him from deciding he's above you now than after he's decided he's "all that". Not saying he will, but it's an easy preventative measure to just make him get out of your way when you're in the coop. Make it a point to run him off a bit. Don't let him have the chance to think he might be able to take you.