What to do with roosters

[mitch1114]

I currently have 1 coop with 15 hens and 1 rooster. Our second coop has a mom, 4 chicks (3 of which may be roosters), and 6 four month old roosters. I want to seperate the older roosters but I don't know where to go with them. I was thinking of making a tractor for them, but what about winter time? I live in southeastern Iowa. Could I leave them in the tractor all winter?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'd rehome or eat them.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Make a post on your town Facebook group. Someone posted needing one and I was shocked how many people were able to rehome them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I don't know where to go with them.

Many of us keep stag pens/coops.

Freezer camp is always an option.

Craigslist farm and garden section.. for rehoming, or humane harvest, state that you prefer not to know if it bother you.

Put your mom hen back with her flock mates and use that second coop for the stags.

Iowa winters are brutal (aren't they?).. your definition of tractor probably makes a difference whether it could work or not. Separate out the moms cockerel chicks at the same time as the older boys, if possible.. otherwise integration can me more challenging.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'd rehome or eat them.

Same.

 

[Pheonix_in_wonderland]

I have 3 roosters at the moment and have an additional young one. I have no idea what tractor means in this context But I’ll try to help. We don’t cull our birds unless absolutely nessesary (As in- they are dying). I live in VT, and it regularly gets below 0 degrees ferinheight during winter. You have more options than re-homing and killing. last winter we put all three in a coop together. the coop was too tall so we had issues with frostbite and 2 of the Roos would kick the other one around so he did get some severe frostbite. though this could have been avoided if we had managed the coop situation better.

this winter they will be in a coop that’s much shorter, you want a space that’s fully enclosed and not large so their body heat can keep them warm. make sure you also have plenty of bedding on the floor and use the deep litter meathod! that was the other issue resukting in such bad frostbite, we didn’t have our litter as deep as we usually do for winter. if you have a coop that’s a bit big for them or needs extra insulation take old feed bags and stuff them with dead dry leaves, straw, hay, or something like that and staple them to inside of the coop. Does wonders! We don’t use heaters for any of our coops and only 1 has any insulation and that’s with the stapled feed bag meathod. Your roosters will probably get some frostbite on their combs- that’s fine. If they get it on their waddles you have an issue.

 

[aart]

this winter they will be in a coop that’s much shorter, you want a space that’s fully enclosed and not large so their body heat can keep them warm.

Not really.
Having a coop that 'holds the heat' is a recipe for horrible air quality and overhumidification.

 

[Pheonix_in_wonderland]

Not really.
Having a coop that 'holds the heat' is a recipe for horrible air quality and overhumidification.

yes really, that’s how you keep the coop warm in winter. I’ve kept chickens my entire life- I know what I’m talking about. I live in an area that gets -30f. you don’t have issues with air quality or overhumidification in winter in summer if you have those issues you simply open up the coop and it’s fixed. Coops that don’t hold heat don’t work for cold climates. Where tf are you raising chickens that you can have a coop that doesn’t keep your birds warm omfg this is the stupidest thing I’ve read! The cold will kill your birds faster than air quality, and in summer time you just open up the coop if your somewhere where summer heat is an issue. This is why I’m like never active on this site I hear the stupidest things. look if this person doesn’t want to kill or rehome the roosters that’s how they keep it safe, healthy, and warm in winter if Iowa winters are anything like VT winters. They can put the Roos back in the space they are currently using in summer if they don’t build the new coop to accommodate both seasons.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My birds are Montana raised and they absolutely do not live in short, warm coops. I would be far too worried about humidity from their breath and poop

 

[Pheonix_in_wonderland]

My birds are Montana raised and they absolutely do not live in short, warm coops. I would be far too worried about humidity from their breath and poop

my birds cant keep warm in tall large coops. That’s a reflection of my climate. humidity is not the issue in winter, and is easily remedied in summer. they said Iowa winters were brutal, if that means they are like my winters then thats how we deal with them. warm coops keep them alive. and during summer when heat is the issue we open the coops up so their is ventilation and the coops can cool off. i don’t know what your winters are like, I don’t know how you keep your birds warm, this is how we do it. And it’s worked for at least 10 years so I’m sticking to it.