What to do? What to do? What to do?

[Buckguy20]

I am at a crossroads in my current breeding project. I need to get rid of several cockerals but I really don't want to get rid of any. These aren't pure. I can cull the pure breds Ok, but what I am having trouble with is culling my " EYE CANDY" crosses.
A lot of these are blue Andalusian crosses and come in a variety of colors with a blue overtone or undertone depending on the individual bird.
These are four to five months old. Should I wait till they are full grown? When do they get their final feathers? I have known that in the past but can't seem to recall it right now.
I need to put them all in a "boys" dormitory anyway since some are starting to feel like they have a calling as roosters.
Just some ramblings about my current task at hand. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Monty

 

[rooster-red]

I have 3 roosters, 1 stays with the flock, the other 2 are sharing the "bachler pad" until spring , when I can build them their own coops and give them their own hens.

Working fine so far.

 

[Buckguy20]

Thanks, I have several pens with hens and roos diveded now as well as a bachelor pen with some benchwarmers. I can't justify keeping and feeding another 20 or so roosters all winter. I just need to make myself choose and I have had a hard time doing that. If they were all alike I could do it with no trouble but I like different things about most of them. I think I know the answer to my own question but like my eight year old son says about most things "I don't want to do it."
Thanks again ,
Monty

 

[Mulemom]

I wish I lived closer to you. I could give one a home. I am currently rooless. My DH's new puppy took out my only roo on Sunday.

We didn't even want a rooster. Uncle Bob was the "free exotic". We ended up liking him though and my DH just said last night that we should try to find another. It's just way too quite out there now.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Hmm.. that stinks. If it was me.. I'd cull the least likely favs first. Then maybe the ones who just didn't have the sweetest tempers...

Then again, who'my kidding?? I've already thought that IF we end up with extra roos and IF we can't find homes for them, then dh will be doing a little more DIY! Unless they have bad attitudes, I just can't imagine eating them, although I realize that feeding extra mouths is just silly.

Are their things about them that you would want to pass down? Could maybe you use each in the same line to try to get it all into a single bird? (I'm feeling in the dark here.. trying to give you a reason to keep them..

)

Good luck with your decision. Never an easy one to make. But I think you are right, sometimes we know what we have to do, we just don't want to do it.

-Meghan