what do you do when you end up with a rooster?

[scs287]

I just got 6 straight run chicks from the feed store and am now worried i'll end up with a boy. How hard is it to rehome a rooster? What if I end up with more than one?

 

[wpalmisano]

You can eat him, find someone on here that wants him and lives close, or even try Craigslist. There are usually free roosters on there and folks that want them

 

[gryeyes]

6 straight run? Don't worry about it any more, you can be sure you WILL get at least two roosters.

I haven't rehomed any of mine. But I happen to be insane. I'm just letting you know you actually CAN have a flock with more than one rooster. If they are raised together, it's much easier for them to live together. There will be one dominant rooster and any others will be subordinate to him. You can just get yourself some more pullets (I would stay away from the straight run bins) to give the dominant rooster more ladies to love.

Other folks will chime in here with some alternate views which work best for their situations. You don't have to be insane like me.

 

[AllTheseCreatures]

We kept one for a while, he was so nice look at. Then aggression became an issue and his crowing irritated the neighbors. So if you can deal with those factors, keep him (or them). Otherwise you're going to have to eat him or find someone else who wants him. In my experience, most of the people on craigslist that wanted my rooster wanted to eat him. So I figured, why not? Pretty gruesome work, but pretty tasty in the end.

Really it's up to you. If you can't stand the thought of him dying, it may be some time before you can find an appropriate home.

 

[SlowRiverFarms]

Well, I do not have an answer for you...sorry. But I can tell you what happened with our rooster. We got a random bird with our last chick order, and it turned out to be a bantam rooster. So we were putting up with him but really did not want him...started thinking how to get him to a good home. Then, after months with no problems, we got a predator in the yard. Not sure what, but thinking a fox. Only killed one bird - yep, so much for the rooster. And predator has not been back since.

Guess that fox was tired of getting woke up early!

 

[Kaitie09]

We got rid of six roos on Craiglist within 3 days. A woman who had around 30 hens that free range took them all.

 

[schellie69]

I haven't faced this problem but since I am thinking of hatching some eggs out this year if I get a broody have decided that the roosters will become dinner.

 

[Dora'smom]

We have had three roosters (so far) out of a total of 20 supposed to be sorted pullets. All three of them went to different farms in the area. If you are in a situation like we are, where you live in the city, and roosters are probably not tolerated, the thing to do is start figuring out your plan of action early. By asking around, we found that my husband's boss had chickens, and he welcomed our big, beautiful Buff Orpington "Buck" to his flock. Our Silkie "Zeus" went to a local no-kill farm (not a shelter) via Craig's List----we are welcome to visit him at any time, and our Turken roo went to another farm to be a part of their breeding program. Start with your feed store, or farm store, or someone you know, or a local chicken internet group, farmer's market, etc., and see what connections you can make in your area.
About a month ago, I had a hen go broody (again) and had difficulty with finding eggs until I thought about using my local connections---I work with someone, whose husband owns a farm store, who has a local farmer come in occasionally, who knows another farmer, who knows a farmer who has fertile eggs. Chickeny networking. I now have an adorable little flock of blue-laced red wyandotte babies scooting around the broody pen.
In the future, your chances of having all pullets are better if you go with the sorted bins, rather than straight run, but as I can attest to, you may still get the occasional rooster.

 

[hennyannie]

Quote:
:lol My cousin had this same thing happen. I was thinking he should be remembered kindly for his sacrifice for the hens. On a more serious note there are alot of folks still in my area that come by just wanting a roo for a pet or to hear him crow at their house. I can usually talk them into getting hima companion!

 

[scs287]

thanks everyone for the replies! how old do they have to be before I can tell?