Uhoh...one of my hens is a roo!! Help!!

[5isenough]

I have raised one flock of hens just for the eggs a few years ago and that went fine, so I got 10 more hens last July to start a new flock...just for eggs. Well, one of them, a naked neck (I got an assortment) has turned out to be a rooster. I have never had a roo before and am pretty sure I don't want one, but I don't know what to expect. Will the roo hurt the hens? Could I keep him separated and just let them get together from time to time? And I really don't know anything about raising peeps (except from MPC). I just need some advice about what to expect and what to do. What would you do???

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
If you really don't want him, put an ad on Craigslist and give him away.

Or you can butcher him. Roos make great stews.

Roos crow and mate with the hens. Usually they protect the hens but some can get a bit too rowdy and cause some harm. Some pull the feathers off the hen's back and neck.

Separating the roo is probably not kind to him since he won't have anyone to be with. As for raising peeps, you can just eat the eggs whether they're fertilized or not. Otherwise, you'll have to have a broody hen or an incubator if you want to raise them. If this is something you don't want to mess with, don't. Gather the eggs daily and stick them in the frig. Fertilized eggs aren't a big deal -- you can eat them and are actually the same in nutritional value.

I have one roo with my girls, two cockerels with another bunch and two roos with the turkey and ducks waiting for slaughter. I hadn't intended to get roos, but there you go.

 

[Kittymomma]

How many hens do you have now? One roo with 10-20 hens probably won't cause any damage though sometimes their favorites will get a little ragged. They can be kind of rough when they hit the teenager stage, but nothing that should cause real harm.

I love having roos, when you get a good one it's so much fun watching them call the girls over for treats and fixing the nesting material just right for the girls. A lot of how your experience goes will depend on your boys personality so it's pretty much something that you'll have to play by ear.

If you decide to let things ride and see how it goes don't feel bad if later down the road you feel that you need to remove him. A good roo can add an entire new dimention to the joy of having a flock of chickens, but a bad one is nothing but a feather covered demon.