What to do with too many roosters?

Let me give you three links that give what think is good information and some different opinions on this. I think they will help you.

Breeders managing roosters
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=250327

Number of roosters thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=219443

Managing multiple roosters
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229968

We all have different goals and circumstances, so one answer is not going to be right for all of us. There are potential problems in keeping roosters, potential, not guaranteed. Many of us keep multiple roosters with out flocks and don't have big problems, but there are some that do have problems. My normal advice is to keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals.

There is no magic number that will guarantee you that you will never have a problem. Some people keep three roosters with two hens and things are great. Some keep one rooster with 18 or 20 hens and have problems. Many things go into it. In my opinion, the individual personality of the roosters and hens is the most important, but other things, like how much room they have, are also important. These comments cover everything from roosters fighting to barebacked hens. There is no magic number, but I agree the more roosters you have, the more likely it is that you will have a problem.

I can't tell you what I would do in your circumstances. My goals are different. I personally would not put up with a rooster that attacks any human, especially if there are kids around. I'm not criticizing you, just pointing out some differences. There is a possibility the Buff Orp will mature properly. Maybe not. Their personalities can change, either for the worse or for the better, when they become the dominant rooster or as they mature. There is obvioously no telling how your BR will turn out.

My young ones avoid the older ones too. I don't have any adults that go out of their way to search out and destroy the young ones (some flocks have those chickens), but the adults remind them very clearly that it is bad manners for chickens lower in the pecking order to share space with their social betters. The young ones wisely try to avoid the adults.

Good luck! It is not always an easy decision.
 
I just had to have one of my roosters "put down" because he was being abused (no one wants to hear the details on that:sick) by the other rooster. I felt bad, but I didn't want to come out to the house and find him mangled. It seems kind of wrong to have kept the meanie, but this one had a crossed beak and I think a broken foot. He was limping and it was swollen. He was scared of the other rooster so much, he didn't even stand up straight. He walked around with his head all scrunched down. It was disturbing. He also had trouble eating because of the beak.

I would do something before your situation progressed to something like that. If your old rooster is healthy, you're probably better off keeping him. He would be very tough if eaten. The younger ones would still make a decent baked chicken.
 
I totally forgot you said that your old rooster was mean to PEOPLE! That is a horse of a different color. He would be on the chopping block, tough or not. You can use a crock pot to tenderize like someone else on here said. Peep might calm down a bit with the girls if he didn't have other roosters to compete with. I would pick which ever one of the youngin's you liked the look of and do away with the other two.
 
Thanks everyone. My 2 yr old Rooster "Chester" seems to only go after people if he feels his hens are being threatened. He especially dislikes men. Usually a swift kick or swat with a horse whip-even if just on the ground right next to him backs him down. I guess since he was my first rooster, and he is so beautiful, and he takes excellent care of his ladies (I've seen him feed one of his hens from his own beak), I've put up with it. He also does not come after me.

What is the best age for a chicken to be butchered? From the info here it sounds like even my 10 month old rooster might be tough to eat? Ideally I'm waiting for my young bantams to grow up and see if I can get a chicken to be broody before I get rid of a rooster. I'd like to see what type of offspring both Chester and Peep will give me.
 
You can eat older roosters. Helps if you let them age in the fridge for about three days give or take, and slow cook them in a stew pot or crock pot. Killing and eating right away... TOUGH BIRD!!! Ask me how I know.
 
Lots of different ways to cook older chickens. Google "Coq au Vin" for a classic. The secret is to cook them at a low temperature for a longer time with moisture. If it involves boiling, it needs a slow simmer, not a full boil. If it is baked, it is best covered with some liquid in the pot at a low temperature, like 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lots of threads in the meat bird section on how to cook them.
 
I was lucky enough to find people who lived out of town and were willing to take my roosters off my hands. Which was a very good thing, since I ended up raising a total of five (all from the same place as chicks)! I just couldn't kill them, they all had names & everything, and I'm way to tender-hearted. lol
 

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