What to do with chickens you don't want....

[Northwood Silkies]

I have a Silkie cockerel that I was trying to find a home for him but no one wants him. It's a Silkie and just pet quality. I hate to cull him but I don't have any room to keep him separate from my other Silkies that I'm keeping. Is it wrong to cull him just because he isn't perfect and just pet quality? I just feel bad about having to do that :-(
Just wondering if anyone culls like this?
Thanks

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Culling sometimes doesn't mean that you have to kill the bird. When I say cull from my flock it can also mean that I have given them away to someone that just wants chickens for their flock as egg layers or a pet even or they have used them for their freezer.

 

[shelleyb1969]

Have you tried "advertising" him in your local Freecycle? I've always had great success with re-homing roosters that way. There's no guarantee that the people who get your roo will give him a true pet home, but at least it's an option and a possibility.

Good luck!

 

[mulewagon]

Yes, people have to...There's just too many roosters, and it's not safe to keep many with the hens, they don't produce anything if they're separate, and there's only so many folks who want pet chickens. I have a freezerful of extra roosters. They were lovely and there wasn't anything wrong with them, but I can't afford to feed so many nonproducing birds.

Think of it this way: it's nature. Most of the roosters get driven off by the big ones, and most of them die. We keep a lot more alive than would survive in the wild, but we can't keep them all...

 

[Northwood Silkies]

ok, I placed him in the closest freecycle in my area. We don't have a local freecycle. I live in such a small rural area and there's not much to offer unfortunately. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that someone contacts me otherwise I will have to send him to chicken heaven which i hate to do but I guess you have to do, what you have to do.
I have also placed a ad in a couple local online classifieds not to long ago and didn't get any inquires :-(

 

[shelleyb1969]

I'll keep my fingers crossed that Freecycle works as well for you as it has for me.

 

[emrys]

Could you post a notice at a local feed store? I've know that to be a good place to catch the eye of people who keep critters.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I wish I lived closer! I would take him but can't travel all the way to Michigan.. : (

 

[Cowgirl71]

I'd recommend Craigslist and a flyer at your local feedstore(s). Good luck!!!

 

[oldchickenlady]

You could try craigslist too. www.craigslist.com I see ads all the time looking for free chickens.