Venting about Roosters

[Dirtclawed]

That's awesome. I'm going to have an orchard once we get land... I hope

You will

 

[NoodlesMama]

Most hatcheries only sell bantams as straight run. The breeds I like most are in the bantam category (Cochin, d'Uccle, OEGB, seabright). Can you propose a solution?
I have no problem eating my extra roosters, but I have yet to find a butcher/slaughter house within 5 hours of me, that handles poultry.
I live in the suburbs of my town. I would love to live outside of the city limits, but it is what it is. I am fortunate that we are one of the few places without laws or ordnances about poultry in City limits. That said, I also like to keep my neighbors friendly. My only standard breed boy is an EE (out of the PULLET bin). He has a no crow collar because he is loud. No one wants to hear their neighbors yelling "SHUT UP" to your rooster at 4:30am. (It happened)
He has never acted bothered by it. It does not impede his eating, drinking, mating, tidbiting, dancing, and only lowers the volume of his crow, by, maybe, half. A few of our bantam boys sport collars also. They are the ones who either crow excessively or are particularly piercing. Not one single personality is changed in any way.
Not one boy is silenced. It's not what the collars are made for. They only lower the volume. They are not cruel.

As for rehoming, I have no problem with that, except that, where I live, I have to worry about them being used as bait birds for cock fight training. That is a huge NO! in my book.
I have no problem with them being consumed, but after all the $$ I put in to them I would rather they were in my freezer, but again, no butcher. (I can't do it, it's hard enough to cull, let alone eviscerate.)
Additionally, the few I have met on BYC that live within a few hours of me, are into other breeds than I am, so buying, selling, trading isn't really going to happen.
I don't dislike roosters, and I was one who posted about 'silencing through surgery'. Isn't that what this site is for? Asking questions, getting advice?
I learned that the surgery can be fatal. (As can be any surgery-even people surgery) After what I learned, I decided it wasn't an option for me.
So, for me, straight run is the only choice for the breeds I like, I posted a questions about caponizing in order to make an informed decision, being on good terms with neighbors is important to some of us, and that actually testing out ways to address issues sometimes gives a harmless solution?
Opinions of collars, without actually inspecting and/or trying them out, lends no credibility to an argument other than an emotional based response to hearsay, instead of a factual one.
Although I am not writing any of this in anger, I have re read it several times, trying to find a way to say what I want to say, without it sounding 'pissy'. I have not succeeded, but it's better than it was, and it's late, and I'm tired. So, it is what it is.

Don’t know where you are at so this may or may not be helpful but my pet chicken has sexed bantams in a variety of kinds. I’ve had good luck with them and so far they have been spot on with sexing.

 

[FortCluck]

My girls have an apricot tree and an apple tree,they love the fruit drop.View attachment 1962326

and I just noticed that you have a Kentucky fried Chicken sign on your run, that is the best thing ever!!!

 

[JoeInPA]

...my uncle had chickens for a fairly long time in a jurisdiction where he technically wasn't even allowed to have hens much less roosters. He did it for a pretty long time but eventually a neighbor complained. When the police came and saw the chickens my uncle told the cop "No those are dogs. There is no ordinance against dogs." The cop was totally caught off guard and left him alone.

Eventually he had to get rid of them but it was a pretty funny excuse that did buy him some time.

Im Greeen with envy,,wish I could get one for my girls

Just tell people they are dogs.

 

[FortCluck]

Just tell people they are dogs.

 

[Dirtclawed]

Just tell people they are dogs.

 

[FortCluck]

Heres an 18 day old Cockerel, it takes after it's dad. It's Huge for it's age look at it's legs! What a TANK!

 

[erehwon]

Some of us don't eat birds. We cannot stop others from eating birds. We can definitely stop them from eating our birds, and it's in anyone's right to refuse selling a cockerel for the soup pot. I have poultry as pets. In general, they are some of the best animals for pets, and much better suited than the expensive exotic birds that are not domesticated. I would love a flock of pretty cockerels if I had the property for it, and I am not alone in that. Not everybody keeps birds for utility.

A friend who was contracting away from home rented a caravan located on some farm land for his lodgings, he was woken up every morning by the sound of cockerels crowing outside his window, it drove him crazy and all he did was complain about the noise and his lack of sleep. Move on a year and he now lives in the English countryside and keeps.......... you've guessed it, a squad of (at last count) 9 cockerels, no hens just these loud, colourful birds that drove him mad previously and he loves them. He has never had any trouble between them all which I think is normal if you keep just cockerels. Each to their own as they say.

 

[FortCluck]

Feel free to post your rooster pictures in here! I love roosters!

 

[aart]

Feel free to post your rooster pictures in here! I love roosters!

Same here. especially young cockerels...they are delicious!!