What do people do with boy chicks?

[lazy gardener]

Where is your source? I have NEVER heard this. Roosters are killed frequently at 16-20 weeks though.

It's a well known fact, as Mary states. The reality is that most shipments are pullets. There are no magic happy ever after endings for the millions of cockerels that are hatched every year.

Lili, if you hatch chicks, the sad fact is that at least half of your chicks will be cockerels. Occasionally, you will get lucky and have more pullets. But PLAN on having 60% of your hatch being cockerels. Realize that the feed conversion rate for those cockerels to raise them up for processing is poor when compared to birds that are specifically bred for meat. Therefore, there is not a market for them. You will be lucky to be able to give them away. When you give them away, you loose all control over how they are treated. They may be used for dog food, cock fighting, to feed someone's snake, to feed captive raptors... or simply treated poorly. That is why many of us choose to raise our own cockerels, and process them for our own freezers.

If you don't have an exit or long term plan for all cockerels that you hatch... And if you aren't willing to cull any deformed or failure to thrive chicks that you hatch then, you should not be hatching chicks.

 

[Welshies]

Yes, many zillions of male chicks are killed at sexing, because there's no market value in leghorn or sex-link cockerels. For everyone who orders only pullets, ask what happens to those cockerels. Some hatcheries only sell straight run chicks, and that's a good thing, IMO. Reality strikes here!
Mary

Wow, i had no idea.

 

[Welshies]

It's a well known fact, as Mary states. The reality is that most shipments are pullets. There are no magic happy ever after endings for the millions of cockerels that are hatched every year.

Lili, if you hatch chicks, the sad fact is that at least half of your chicks will be cockerels. Occasionally, you will get lucky and have more pullets. But PLAN on having 60% of your hatch being cockerels. Realize that the feed conversion rate for those cockerels to raise them up for processing is poor when compared to birds that are specifically bred for meat. Therefore, there is not a market for them. You will be lucky to be able to give them away. When you give them away, you loose all control over how they are treated. They may be used for dog food, cock fighting, to feed someone's snake, to feed captive raptors... or simply treated poorly. That is why many of us choose to raise our own cockerels, and process them for our own freezers.

If you don't have an exit or long term plan for all cockerels that you hatch... And if you aren't willing to cull any deformed or failure to thrive chicks that you hatch then, you should not be hatching chicks.

I suggest eating cockerels. Vety very tasty.
I had no idea about hatchery cockerels though. That's sad. Let them live more than a day at the very least.

 

[junebuggena]

I suggest eating cockerels. Vety very tasty.
I had no idea about hatchery cockerels though. That's sad. Let them live more than a day at the very least.

A lot of people have no idea.

 

[Folly's place]

Then you need to only order straight run chicks!!! Growing out leghorn or sex-link type cockerels will cost $$$ per pound body weight and take some time. Your cockerels can have a very nice life until that last day, and either go into your freezer, or go to a wildlife rehab type place that does raptors and/or snakes.
Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

There is no market for them. The hatcheries are in business to make a profit. This is a sad thing for sure, without an easy solution. Most likely, 90% of the folks who are BYC members order pullets only.... or perhaps only 1 - 2 cockerels for every 25 chicks ordered. And these are folks who know what happens to the extras. One way to help prevent these deaths is to be self sufficient in raising your own replacement birds. But... very few BYF owners can even do that.

 

[Welshies]

Then you need to only order straight run chicks!!! Growing out leghorn or sex-link type cockerels will cost $$$ per pound body weight and take some time. Your cockerels can have a very nice life until that last day, and either go into your freezer, or go to a wildlife rehab type place that does raptors and/or snakes.
Mary

I don't order chicks in.

There is no market for them. The hatcheries are in business to make a profit. This is a sad thing for sure, without an easy solution. Most likely, 90% of the folks who are BYC members order pullets only.... or perhaps only 1 - 2 cockerels for every 25 chicks ordered. And these are folks who know what happens to the extras. One way to help prevent these deaths is to be self sufficient in raising your own replacement birds. But... very few BYF owners can even do that.

Agreed.

 

[Mylied]

I used to give my extra males away. I eventually accepted that it was impractical for me to give someone a free meal while I bought chicken at the grocery store. I now process extra males. It's unpleasant but that's life.

 

[Folly's place]

The cockerels I raise have a much better life than the grocery store birds, and then a few bad moments their last day. And they are very tasty!
Mary

 

[Welshies]

The cockerels I raise have a much better life than the grocery store birds, and then a few bad moments their last day. And they are very tasty!
Mary

I agree. I would rather eat something and process something knowing it lived a good, non caged live and was humanely killed.