What to do with my cockerel/rooster chicks?

Joshua Grundy

In the Brooder
Aug 2, 2017
9
1
14
I have 8 chicks that have recently hatched.
4 hens and 4 roosters/cockerels.


I am such a soft touch that I just can't bring myself to kill the poor little guys after looking after them with their mama hens.
I have heard that people can only have one rooster in their flock but from others you can have as many as you want...


The rooster I currently have that has fathered these mixed breed chicks is an Appenzeller. He was gifted by a friend who has a flock of around 15 Appenzellers. They say they have never encountered any aggression from this Appenzeller breed but I was just wondering if any other owners of this breed have multiple Appenzeller roosters in their flock? (Even though the roosters (currently chicks) are mixed breed)?

My rooster "Thomas" is such a gentleman and ALWAYS does his mating dance around the hens with his wing. He never forces himself on them and they don't have bald spots anywhere. Although that being said, my hens are the same size if not bigger than him anyway so less likely to get hurt and bossed around.

I would like to keep maybe one or two of the rooster chicks I have and maybe give the other two away if I can. Is there anything I can be doing now now the little boys are still chicks to help their father get along with them when they're older?


I just can not bring myself to kill unwanted males. Even if I sent them away to be killed. I would know I'm sending them away to be killed so I couldn't do that either. It's awful that cockerels are looked at like something that doesn't deserve to be alive and then culled...
 

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How many hens do you have?

Hello.

I have 3 large "Marans" 14 Months old but maybe slighter older or younger. Plus I'll have another 4 hens from the chicks I've hatcheted naturally. (The chicks are mix breed from the Appenzeller and Maran.

The rooster/cockerel I already have (the father) did live with his 4 other brothers for a while and no fights what so ever apparently. But that was with no hens at that time.
Now, like I said he is extremely gentle with the 3 hens I have.
He finds them food, does his mating dance and watches the sky looking for birds that might be a threat (even though there are not that would be a threat here but he watches anyway and makes a noise to alert the hens when something flies over)

I have held a couple of chicks in my hands and their father has appeared to show an interest but not any aggression as if he wanted to get to them. Just sits close by their run and seems watch over them when they're playing with mama hens.
 
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You might be able to get away with the roosters getting along, but it could be too much stress on the hens. I would just try it and see what happens.
 
You might be able to get away with the roosters getting along, but it could be too much stress on the hens. I would just try it and see what happens.

How many roosters if any do you have?
My hens are quite large whereas most roosters are significantly bigger than their hens. (From what I have mostly seen)
My hens are extremely in their own. They're by no means bossed around by my rooster. The hens certainly wear the trousers.


Would I know straight away if my male chicks will be okay with their father? They'll be in a run until around 6months old anyway so should I watch for any particular behaviour through the wire fence or genstures from my rooster (their father) i.e. Certain noises or head movements and son on?

I apologise for the 101 questions ha ha, I just want as much knowledge as possible. I'm soaking it all up if I'm to have chicks every few years or so...
 
I agree with the previous poster, if you are lucky and the rooster gets along with the cockerels (which is probably not going to happen) you still have the problem with the hens' ratio. They will be over mated and stressed.
My broody hatched 7 chicks last May, three of them are cockerels. I decided to separate them because like you, I don't want to cull them, eat them or give them away unless it is absolutely necessary. They are now in a bachelors pad (they have their own yard, run and coop) so far it has worked fine, they have already established their pecking order (they are three months old). I plan to keep them there and I am crossing my fingers that once the hormones kick in, things will still be all right. Maybe you can try this too.
 
So you have one adult male, 4 young cockerels, 3 adult hens and 4 pullets?

Five males are definitely going to be way too much for only 7 hens. Even if you keep 2 of the cockerels, and all 3 of the boys get along well, that may still be too much for such a small number of hens. You can try it, but be ready to separate some or all of the males.

The sad fact is one can only have so many roosters and maintain a happy flock. Sure one can keep all of them but that is not at all fair to the hens.

If you can't rehome them to another flock, and can't stand to see them butchered, then put them in their own bachelor run to keep them from harassing the females.
 
2x what Keesmom said. If you don't mind keeping them as pets, then keep them separate from the girls. I have some roosters running around away from the girls and they do great. I did process most of them since if I kept every rooster I hatched, I'd be overrun, but I let a few go. I still have too many roosters right now. :p It's probably not a good idea to hatch out chicks if you don't want to get rid of roosters one way or another. It'd be better to buy sexed chicks if you want to add to your flock.
 
How many roosters if any do you have?
My hens are quite large whereas most roosters are significantly bigger than their hens. (From what I have mostly seen)
My hens are extremely in their own. They're by no means bossed around by my rooster. The hens certainly wear the trousers.


Would I know straight away if my male chicks will be okay with their father? They'll be in a run until around 6months old anyway so should I watch for any particular behaviour through the wire fence or genstures from my rooster (their father) i.e. Certain noises or head movements and son on?

I apologise for the 101 questions ha ha, I just want as much knowledge as possible. I'm soaking it all up if I'm to have chicks every few years or so...

The roosters will display for each other, drag a wing, dance around, and try to get at each other through the fence. That's how you'll know they won't get along.
 
How many roosters if any do you have?
My hens are quite large whereas most roosters are significantly bigger than their hens. (From what I have mostly seen)
My hens are extremely in their own. They're by no means bossed around by my rooster. The hens certainly wear the trousers.


Would I know straight away if my male chicks will be okay with their father? They'll be in a run until around 6months old anyway so should I watch for any particular behaviour through the wire fence or genstures from my rooster (their father) i.e. Certain noises or head movements and son on?

I apologise for the 101 questions ha ha, I just want as much knowledge as possible. I'm soaking it all up if I'm to have chicks every few years or so...
I have two roosters, however they do not live together as one is a silkie and the other is a kraienkoppe and the silkie would be killed by it. Your rooster would almost for sure not get along with his sons as you have a limited number of hens. I have had roosters together before, although they were outside free ranging with no hens to fight over. If you had enough space and about 20-30+ hens then you might be able to keep the roosters together.
 

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