How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Finding homes for unwanted cockerels

Monday, July 22, 2013

Re: [CHICKENS-101] Finding homes for unwanted cockerels

Hi Janet,

I hope that you have had some luck rehoming your unwanted cockerels. I also ended up with one too many roos (2--and 25 pullets). The araucana roo started harassing the pullets to the point that several of them wouldn't leave the corner. It was a chicken pile and with the extreme hot weather not a good situation. I worried that they were eating and drinking as whenever he came around they wouldn't move from that space. I tolerated the situation as long as I could and then came to the decision that I had to do something. I advertised him on Craigslist and after several days got NO response.

My neighbor offered to "take care" of him for me but I just wasn't comfortable with that so I ended up taking him to my farm vet who sees my horses and she very kindly euthanised him for me. She was able to sedate him first and then inject the solution into a vein under his wing. He went quickly and peacefully and it was a resolution I could live with. The transport to the vet and getting him out the cage was the worst part of it. I know it is a solution that most chicken keepers wouldn't do but in my situation worked. I know a lot of people would say that the protein was just wasted but I wanted to be as kind to him as I am to my dogs, cats, and horses that I have had to say goodbye to. No judgement to keepers that handle things differently , just my way of resolution. It's a shame that I couldn't rehome him and I hated like the dickens to have to do it.......I am finding it very hard to get into the "livestock" frame of mind.

Susan

--------------------------------------------
On Sun, 7/21/13, jajeanpierre <jajeanpierre@yahoo.com> wrote:

Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Finding homes for unwanted cockerels
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, July 21, 2013, 9:28 AM

I've been doing a lot of thinking of what do do
with my unwanted bantam Cochins and Silkie cockerels.
Originally, I thought they would end up in a pot. However
some have suggested I offer them on Craigs List.

I have three bantam frizzled Cochin cockerels. I'll
keep one because he is just such a neat little bird. The
other two are little terrors and the sooner they go the
better. They are not particularly pretty birds. I think
they are double copy frizzle, but don't really know what
double copy frizzle looks like. The little cockerel I'm
keeping has nice fluffy feathers that drape on him. These
two were very slow to feather, have sparse, stringy
feathering and don't have that pouf that the one I'm
keeping has. They might feather out nicely as there is a
lot of new pin feathers just growing in. I'm keeping a
little frizzle pullet that has the same ratty feathering. I
got four frizzles out of four I ordered, so I believe the
hatchery probably bred frizzle to frizzle.

I also have some Silkie cockerels that need to go. One of
the Silkie cockerels immediately pecks my hand if it is
within range, so I don't think he should go to a
"pet" kind of home.

Is there a market for birds like these? They are hatchery
birds and some if not all are miles away from what the SOP
calls for. How much should I charge? I don't want to
give them away to someone who will just slaughter them--if
they are going into a pot, I think they should go into MY
pot. However, if they can find a decent home, I'm sure
they would much rather continue to live than end up in my
pot.

I will also probably have a few Silkie pullets that need a
home. How much are they worth? I'm in the San Antonio,
Texas, area.

Thanks for your help.

Janet