What to do with unwanted male chicks

[Burdi]

I am losing my motivation to raise out my excess male chicks. Up to now I have raised all my hatchlings with most males harvested at 16-20 weeks. They are egg laying breeds and taste good but are low yield as far as feed conversion. Also as I am now 68 it is harder to get excited about processing. Would like to find an alternative to raising them. The thought of euthanizing them is painful but my time, energy and $$ for feed are finite. My current hatch will be mostly sex linked birds so I will be able to ID males at hatch. Ideas please.

 

[Yardmom]

In some areas selling them is possible. Advertise on Craigslist or sell them at a livestock auction.

 

[NatJ]

In some areas selling them is possible. Advertise on Craigslist or sell them at a livestock auction.

Good idea!

Another possibility for just-hatched chicks:
If you have a pet that likes to eat raw meat, or you know someone who has such a pet, the chicks could be killed and used as food for the pet (dog, cat, snake, etc.) I've read of zoos that use chicks to feed some of the birds of prey and other wild animals, too. Any of those would be a way to use the chicks instead of wasting them, which can make it feel less painful to dispatch the chicks when they are very young and cute.

Up to now I have raised all my hatchlings with most males harvested at 16-20 weeks. They are egg laying breeds and taste good but are low yield as far as feed conversion. Also as I am now 68 it is harder to get excited about processing. Would like to find an alternative to raising them. The thought of euthanizing them is painful but my time, energy and $$ for feed are finite. My current hatch will be mostly sex linked birds so I will be able to ID males at hatch. Ideas please.

If you aren't quite up for killing newly-hatched chicks, maybe raise them for 8 weeks or so and butcher them then. The smaller birds are easier to handle, even though you do get less meat per bird. Of course they also eat less total feed if you butcher them young. I have read that feed to meat conversion is best when they are very young, and gets worse with age, so the meat might actually be more economical. You may spend about the same amount of time butchering one bird no matter what size they are, but on the other hand you did spend less time tending them as they grew, so I can't say whether you spend more or less time overall to get a certain amount of meat.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I've read of zoos that use chicks to feed some of the birds of prey and other wild animals, too.

Highly second reaching out to zoos. Mine will provide bags for the birds and actually don't want anything done other than the actual kill. Even for adults, they want them whole and still feathered so it provides more enrichment for the animals

 

[febane]

Good idea!

Another possibility for just-hatched chicks:
If you have a pet that likes to eat raw meat, or you know someone who has such a pet, the chicks could be killed and used as food for the pet (dog, cat, snake, etc.) I've read of zoos that use chicks to feed some of the birds of prey and other wild animals, too. Any of those would be a way to use the chicks instead of wasting them, which can make it feel less painful to dispatch the chicks when they are very young and cute.


If you aren't quite up for killing newly-hatched chicks, maybe raise them for 8 weeks or so and butcher them then. The smaller birds are easier to handle, even though you do get less meat per bird. Of course they also eat less total feed if you butcher them young. I have read that feed to meat conversion is best when they are very young, and gets worse with age, so the meat might actually be more economical. You may spend about the same amount of time butchering one bird no matter what size they are, but on the other hand, you did spend less time tending them as they grew — kind of like how choosing something efficient like Viho Vape saves you effort in the long run, even if the initial routine feels the same.

Hi, I keep males in a separate flock, and depending on their size we eat most of them and for the other, we try to sell or give them away. A lot depends on your breed, we have Orpington hybrids, marran cockerel and leghorns so it's relatively simple for us.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had some wonderful rare roosters (mostly lavender blue ones) I gave one to a friend who wanted a nice rooster. Mine was very nice, and 3 to a friend who was going to have 40 hens.

 

[Mrs. K]

Snip with pruning shears is quick and painless. Bury them in your garden and plant a rosebush. Or just bury them. It is an ugly moment, but you will be glad you did.

You might just buy sex linked pullets.

 

[Burdi]

Good ideas, particularly finding a zoo that needs them for feed. Doubt I would have local takers for the approximately 15 extra Roos I will hatch this season. Buying pullets is always an option but then I would miss the process of hatching. Also, in recent years I have gravitated to unusual breeds that are expensive. I can hatch out a bunch for the same price as 1 or 2 pullets if I can find them.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Good ideas, particularly finding a zoo that needs them for feed. Doubt I would have local takers for the approximately 15 extra Roos I will hatch this season. Buying pullets is always an option but then I would miss the process of hatching. Also, in recent years I have gravitated to unusual breeds that are expensive. I can hatch out a bunch for the same price as 1 or 2 pullets if I can find them.

You can always ask petstore too if yhe zoo isn't interested (although I doubt they won't want free feeders for their animals),, they might be willing to buy for their current reptiles that are for sale

 

[townchicks]

Wildlife rehabilitators might be another option.