When can I adopt out baby roos?

[bantamofopera]

One of our banty hens hatched out 6 eggs 8 weeks ago. Two are roos (lucky us, we get 4 more hens for tiny eggs). As Papa is quite aggressive (no one goes in the coop without boots on!) we are afraid the extra roos might not be a good idea. Any thoughts from people who have raised flocks of OEG Bantams? The hens have raised the babies right in the coop/run with him and do a good job of putting him in his place if he so much as looks at one of the chicks! If we do find homes for them, is it too early to do now? They are still sleeping under mama's wing, not up on the roost.

 

[FireTigeris]

Depends on who is taking them, hatcherys hatch and ship day old chicke so if somone has a brooder it would be fine, or wait till momma is done at about 4 weeks or fully feathered in at... (depends on breed)

 

[donrae]

I vote to cull the aggressive rooster and raise the two cockerals up and see if either one of them are a better rooster.

But if you're wanting to get rid of the cockerals, they're fine to go now. 8 weeks old is fully feathered and they can sleep on their own. They'll fuss the first few nights, but they'll get over it.

 

[bantamofopera]

I vote to cull the aggressive rooster and raise the two cockerals up and see if either one of them are a better rooster.

I agree, but my husband loves Henry. He carries him around while he does chicken chores (I just lock him out!). Also, how would it be having one of the youngsters if we want to breed more chicks? there will be 4 hens who are his sisters, and one of the other 4 his mom. Is that okay? We can't tell the older set apart so not sure how we would tell which hen was broody (ie if it;s okay to let her set on the eggs). That's the trouble. But these guys are going to grow up wild as long as we have a rooster you can't be in the pen with!

 

[chickenbythesea]

I'm rehoming one of my roosters today and he's 6 weeks