What do you do with cockerels that you can’t keep?

[danacates]

Hi! I’ve been in your situation before. I live in the city and we cannot have roosters but from time to time Ericka is actually Eric. I post them on Craigslist with pics. I’d say that most of the time people who really want a rooster have gotten them. I give them away. I’ve never had problems with rehoming them. I’ve even had people follow up to let me know how they’re doing or that their hens that disappeared bc their flock was attacked have started returning when they hear him crow. I hope for the best, but in the end I cannot keep them and do not want to eat them. Good luck!

 

[Jacals]

I guess nobody likes taking things out in the country where there's plenty of food for it in the woods and stuff and dropping it off near a water supply so it can drink. I do that all the time still see several birds I let loose run across these 120 acre fields at times.

This is a terrible thing to do. You are the type of person that keeps the chicken rescue places busy. If you can't look after them or eat them, don't have them. How terrible for the poor birds being dropped of with no way of looking after themselves against dogs, wild cat, possums etc. They can freeze to death in winter ,get all sorts of ailments with no one to look after them. This is a very selfish and cruel thing to do. Nobody do this!

 

[MickWithChicks]

I just got rid of about 15 roosters. Hatched faaaar too many last season and had had enough of their 4am chorus.

My local zoo took them. They have a nice big rooster run with a gas chamber next to it. They process them on an as-needed basis -- some might last a few weeks with them. The roosters don't even know they're toast, they're just led into the room and fall asleep.

Try calling your zoo. They're the most humane way of getting rid of your excess roosters.

 

[Crazy Chicken GMA Shell]

I’m not sure where to post this, sorry if this isn’t the right place. But I have a 7 week old Olive Egger cockerel. He did a cute little baby voice CHICK A DOODLE DOO this morning. Not loud, but it was obvious. We cannot have roosters where we live. I have posted him on Craigslist, various local chicken/farm groups on FB, and MeWe. The humane society here doesn’t take “livestock”. I do not know what to do with this bird. I’d rather if he didn’t go to someone that was going to eat him (he’s so small anyway), but I’m getting desperate. I did find a rooster rescue group, but they require you to forfeit your entire flock and sign a contract saying you’ll never get more chickens and basically commit to being vegan . I know lots of folks on here have ended up with accidental cockerels - what did you end up doing?

 

[Chickie1960]

Long ride out in the country nice quiet dirt road near a stream.

Don’t ever do that! Poor roo is pulled from the only home he knows to either starve or be coyote food. Or risk being hit by a car as it doesn’t know better. Check with a co-op. Ours has a rehoming program

 

[mpeter8431]

I’m not sure where to post this, sorry if this isn’t the right place. But I have a 7 week old Olive Egger cockerel. He did a cute little baby voice CHICK A DOODLE DOO this morning. Not loud, but it was obvious. We cannot have roosters where we live. I have posted him on Craigslist, various local chicken/farm groups on FB, and MeWe. The humane society here doesn’t take “livestock”. I do not know what to do with this bird. I’d rather if he didn’t go to someone that was going to eat him (he’s so small anyway), but I’m getting desperate. I did find a rooster rescue group, but they require you to forfeit your entire flock and sign a contract saying you’ll never get more chickens and basically commit to being vegan . I know lots of folks on here have ended up with accidental cockerels - what did you end up doing?

I will take the cockerel

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Milkman? There are still milkmen running around out there somewhere?

The only milkman I know of is my friends dad in Cali! And even then I never knew they still existed but he’s out there, delivering milk to front doors for the people of California

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

We plan to take our cockerels to the local flea market that’s happens on the weekends and either sell or trade them.
When it comes down to wanting to rehome a bird that most people consider a meal it’s hard to say “you can’t eat him.”
I was vegan for years and the meat industry is beyond cruel which is why I’m choosing to raise my own flock now however I don’t plan on eating any because I get too attached to the animals I raise and I loved the movie “Chicken Run” growing up.
It seems most responses are giving you what you aren’t asking which is “eat him” your only other option is to find a sanctuary or take him to market and hope a nice family comes along that wants a Roo for their ladies.

 

[countryladyNH]

Milkmen are still a thing?

That's exactly what I was thinking!!! I guess somewhere there must be a 'Leave it to Beaver-ville'!!

 

[mamajos]

We don’t have milkmen in US.

Oh but we do! One example: