What to do about too many roos?

[janiedoe]

Pardon my ignorance @aart but what is "raptor rescue"?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Now I don't have 'enough'(any?) layers over the winter and am kinda reassessing my whole chicken 'program'.

Japanese coturnix quail could very rapidly and inexpensively fill in for your lacking hen situation. Six to eight weeks from hatch to lay (or freezer), small space requirements, and only one ounce of game bird / quail feed daily (they require much higher protein than chickens). A 40kg bag of feed cost me $23 U.S. dollars this week; that's enough for over 1400 quail meals, at one ounce per meal. They tend to be very healthy too, and in many ways, less fragile than day-old chicks. They have a strong, natural resistance to coccidia.

 

[aart]

Pardon my ignorance @aart but what is "raptor rescue"?

A place that rescues injured raptors(Birds Of Prey), some are returned to the wild, some are kept for educational programs.

Japanese coturnix quail could very rapidly and inexpensively fill in for your lacking hen situation.

Yeah, not interested in starting another project.

 

[MochaDuck]

Idk whether or not you'd be interested, but I found an article on BYC on how to make rooster flocks. If you wanted to contain them until you decided what to do with them, you may want to read this

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/rooster-flocks.72998/

 

[blackandtan]

I’d also suggest that if hubby doesn’t love roos, (neither does mine, really!), that perhaps you’re better off with none....keep him happy THIS year and you can get more chickens NEXT year; as the old saying goes “happy wife happy life”, except we need one for husbands too lol

 

[Soy Milano]

Create a bachelor flock!!! They are so much fun! I love my boys! Here is a good infographic with tips - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-keeping-bachelor-flocks

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Which ONE rooster you keep would depend on your future plans for your flock. Are you looking for eggs or meat? If you wish to raise chicks from your own flock for meat, pick the broadest chested cockerel as your future rooster. If you're wanting large eggs, then you need to examine all of your cockerels, measuring distance between their pelvic bones and abdomen with your fingers. More fingers = capacity for larger eggs from his offspring, and easier laying for his daughters. I'd leave your selected cockerel in with the pullets but remove the other three.

That's a really good point. I may just defer to my husband's no rooster (i.e. sleep in on the weekends of he wants to) for now. Ideally, I'd like dual purpose and the boys I have are pretty good sized, but I have access to fertilized eggs, and if I have a girl go broody later or pick a favorite breed I can pick a rooster later. Thanks

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

No, not this late in the season.
(but, hmmm... dangit, IM, thanks for putting that in my head! )
Kinda dropped the ball on my replacement layers regime this year, because did so last year too, had too many birds over winter because I didn't try to sell until too late. SMH.
This year incubator hatched a batch and sold as pullet chicks at local mill (males went raptor rescue) and was also able to sell 4 older pullets from last year. Did the broody hatch on a whim, because she was broody and I regretted not having any new pullets. Now I don't have 'enough'(any?) layers over the winter and am kinda reassessing my whole chicken 'program'.

Never thought about raptor rescue. Now I'm torn between feeding them out and donating them. We have a great wildlife rehabilitator here. However, it feels strange to give fledgling hawks a taste of chicken intentionally. Maybe I could insist they went to owls so if mine were eaten by them later it would be my fault for not putting them up.....

 

[aart]

We have a great wildlife rehabilitator here.

Call them first, ask if they'll take them, at what age they would take them, and if they want them dead or alive. Here they wanted them less than a week old and frozen.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

Call them first, ask if they'll take them, at what age they would take them, and if they want them dead or alive. Here they wanted them less than a week old and frozen.

Will do if that's the route we go. Ours rehabilitates all wildlife including big cats. I think they will even take freshly killed deer like those hit by cars (for food, not resurrection).Thanks