What do you do with a roo you cant get rid of?

[m_shuman]

Fred's Hens :

Compost him? Bury him under a tree and his nutrients will feed the tree. If you can't/won't eat him, at least the nutrients will be of some use. Look, everything returns to the earth. Whether we'd eat him or not, either way, everything returns to the earth from which it comes. The nature of all matter, which "is neither created nor destroyed". (junior high science)


People who cannot keep roosters need to seriously consider avoiding buying unsexed chicks or hatching eggs. Just my $.02

I bought sexed chickens 9 of them. Three of them turned out to be roos. I didn't want roos I bought sexed chicks so I wouldn't have to rehome them or eat them but now I do. Buying sexed chicks is not a 100% gurantee that you are getting all pullets.

As for our roos we are going to keep 1 and rehome the other 2 on a farm. If the guys chooses to eat them that is his choice and I really don't care one way or the other. I personally would eat them but my husband thinks it is cruel to feed the kids their named pets.

ETA: none of our chicks were bantams.​

 

[Country Heart]

In my area many of the feed stores will take your unwanted roo and give you a bit of feed store credit in the process.

 

[Kirtusjon]

Ask your local feed store if u can leave flyer with the roosters info and yours. They usually will help and ask to their customers that buy chicken fee if they are interested.m

 

[triplepurpose]

Some of our chickens have names. And yes, all of them will be eaten at some point (un-needed roosters sooner, old hens later). I LOVE those birds. And I also eat them. It doesn't have to be a big, guilt-ridden, teary moral quandary. It's part of the love. Which is a better way to honor an animal you knew and had a relationship with: letting him feed your family and remembering him with pride and affection, or wrapping him in plastic and dropping him in the garbage like a used snot rag? The fact that such a question begs to be asked, even rhetorically, is proof of just how screwed up this modern culture has become! Sheesh! Where is the respect for life? The real, deep holistic respect that only comes from being a willing, open-hearted participant in its cycles and humbling yourself before the terrible, magical wonder of it all... Get your hands dirty and get in it!

As for the children, they learn their cues from the adults. Live this and they will too!

That's come off a bit more than two cents, maybe five, but there it is...

 

[Laurajean]

Quote:
This is a wise suggestion and I've often wondered just why people do this. Or if they have no intention of eating them, cannot face killing them, etc., then why put yourself through all the drama?

Advertise that roo for someone to use for their hungry children or even raw feeding of their dogs...someone out there will want him.

Yeah, I agree with this. I was very careful to buy sexed chickens because I did not want a roo. Even still, I ended up with one. When I was unable to find him a home as a pet (as in I didn't want him to be food), I simply kept him. I wasn't thrilled about having a roo, but by ordering chickens it's my responsibility to be sure he is cared for. I'm just speaking for myself here. And being a vegetarian, I certainly wasn't going to eat him. Now, if you're in an area where roos simply aren't allowed and you're buying straight run, that's extremely risky if you don't have a plan for them beforehand. I hate to think of them just being culled and thrown in the trash, not even eaten, simply because you chose to buy unsexed. At least cook it for neighbors or something. The trash just seems so disrespectful to such wonderful creatures, especially if we could have made wiser buying choices, or if there is any other option. Again, just my thoughts on it.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
Your dogs are gorgeous and I must say the chicken is doing them good.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Just eat him, would you rather waste him by throwing him out? Would you rather eat the chicken from the store that was raised commercially? You'd be doing yourself a favor to eat a homegrown bird IMO.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Quote:
ThinkingChickens speaks the truth... I sat an old, but working, fridge out by the road with a "free=works great" sign on it. It sat there for 10 days, no takers. Put '$25." on it and someone stole it that very night. Worked for me!

Best post of the night. LOL

 

[Nicole01]

Oh, I also forgot to mention that some hatcheries you order from will ship 15 roosters as "packing peanuts" to keep your order alive.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Quote:
Hatcheries require minimum purchases (usually 25 chicks). City folks are usually limited to 4 or 6 pullets, by city or HOA regulations.


For many city folks, about the only option for getting baby chicks is picking a few chicks out of the bin at Tractor Supply or a local feed store.