What do you do if you have to get rid of one of your flock?

[MydearWatson]

Hi! I have a possible roo and the breeder is awesome enough to take it back if it is. However, when I take this chick out of the brooder for a bit, the whole flock goes nuts and calls out for it and (s)he freaks until she is back with the flock as well. They are such a cute little family, there are only five of them. What happens when you break them up? Do they adjust quickly?

 

[Roo on Harley]

IMHO, BBQ or put up in freezer

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! We re-homed one of out 2 roos-supposed-to-be-a-pullet when he / they were around 7 weeks old. He adjusted to his new home almost immediately. Seemed to feel right at home. However, the ones that stayed at home called for him that night and kinda looked for him in the morning, but by the next night they were fine. Good luck!

 

[BarnChick]

Do you HAVE to get rid of it? Is it law for your area? if not, you could just keep him. Otherwise, they will adjust, and it won't take too long.

 

[Roo on Harley]

Please tell us more

 

[MydearWatson]

yeah, SO not doing the freezer camp thing!

I could have a roo since I havent found anything that states I cant but my coop will be close to my neighbors house (and mine for that matter) I'm not sure they would appreciate a noisy Roo all day long. I dont have a garage I can keep him in. I have thought about putting black out curtains in the coop and seeing if it would work but I dont know. My neighbor had a roo a few years back and the thing crowed ALL DAY LONG! They only kept it a few months and got rid of it because they didn't want to disturb us. I kind of want to pay them that same respect, KWIM? Are Orps notoriously loud Roos? If it was quiet I would definitely keep it around.

I am probably just projecting WAY too much emotion on the whole thing but this possible Roo is such a sensitive little thing and all my chickens seem to care about each other. I would hate to break up the family.

 

[cmom]

I had 5 out of 12 RIR eggs hatched. One chick died and that left 4, two pullets and two roos. I had another hatch 3 weeks later and needed to move some birds around to free up my brooder coop. I sold some of my layers and the people took the two pullets and one of the roos and I kept one. It was alone for a couple of nights and making weird sounds. I put a cage in the brooder coop with the new chicks and the little roo (Rufus) quickly got fixated on them. I left them in their cage and would feed and water them every day but left the cage door shut and Rufus would run around the cage and check them out trying to figure out how he could get in. After a couple of weeks I open the cage door but fixed a piece of wire over the door opening so that the chicks could get in and out but Rufus couldn't. Originally when they went out of the cage he would chase them and they would quickly go back into their cage where they knew they were safe. After another couple of weeks. They were coming out and Rufus wasn't really bothering them much. Once in awhile he would chase and peck at a chick so I took the wire off of the cage door opening. I had a roost in the cage and it was just high enough that Rufus wouldn't try to get on the other side but the chicks could. After another week I removed the cage. Since then I have moved them all to another coop and they all get along great. Rufus hatched on Jan 23rd and the other chicks hatched on Feb. 12th. When I have too many roos I take them to an auction.

 

[Roo on Harley]

Quote:
I understand

 

[FiveHens]

We, too, had a flock of five with one rooster. With the rooster gone, they are not as centralized, nor do they have a main leader or someone to blast the little warning trumpet if a buzzard swoops over. However, apart from that, they have adapted fine and are a perfectly happy little flock. They will adjust quickly.