SeekingSimplicity Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 What do you do with them we you have too many? please don't tell me you kill and eat them... I can't hear you... lalalalalalalalala Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 A lot of people just give them away if they don't turn them into soup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 You sell or give them away to other people that will kill and eat them. :D All our roosters are meat birds anyway at the moment so they're destined for the freezer. When we get layers the to-rooster-or-not-to-rooster problem will be an issue. Sorry, but if we do go for roosters and end up getting too many they will likely be headed for the stew pot. I actually consider that more humane then passing them on to someone else who might neglect or harm them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 You do not need roosters for the layers unless you want baby chicks. We gave ours away. We didn't want any roosters at all. We just wanted the eggs but no chicks. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 I do want babies, but I have had too many roosters hatch out. Here recently I had a raccoon kill several of my chickens, and the little stinker got the hens every time. He couldn't have eaten my roosters for me... no, had to be the hens. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I do want babies, but I have had too many roosters hatch out. Here recently I had a raccoon kill several of my chickens, and the little stinker got the hens every time. He couldn't have eaten my roosters for me... no, had to be the hens. LOL Hang little, "Please Eat me," signs around the roosters' necks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hang little, "Please Eat me," signs around the roosters' necks! :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 You want one rooster, so you have fertilized eggs, at least for the most nutritious :) You can have nice roosters... :) At least ones that won't get ya, if you're the boss :) I'd consider getting a donkey or something if I had room, to help protect the chickens... Donkeys are one of the animals that protect, right? Lots of traps around for those chicken killers! ;( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hang little, "Please Eat me," signs around the roosters' necks! :lol: We had one, he was a horrid little beast. Why was he so mean?? We gave him to a local farmer. What they did with him was their own business. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Hang little, "Please Eat me," signs around the roosters' necks! And put a dollop of peanut butter on their tails? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 We had two that were very mean. We sent them with another homeschooling family who was off to butcher their meat chickens. We gladly just gave them away for the convenience of not needing a stick to beat them off if we tried to gather eggs or feed them. We could have done the butchering, but we are vegetarians, so we didnt see the point!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 You want one rooster, so you have fertilized eggs, at least for the most nutritious :) You can have nice roosters... :) At least ones that won't get ya, if you're the boss :) I'd consider getting a donkey or something if I had room, to help protect the chickens... Donkeys are one of the animals that protect, right? Lots of traps around for those chicken killers! ;( I recently read Guinea Fowl are excellent for helping keep chickens safe as well. They don't hesitate to raise the alarm. They're also excellent for ticks. I'm considering getting some myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 What do you do with them we you have too many? please don't tell me you kill and eat them... I can't hear you... lalalalalalalalala Well, I happen to know for a fact that roosters are Satan's minions. So, don't have any roosters to begin with. I never do. I get sexed chicks (and there is the rare occasional boy in there). Hens are so much happier without roosters around anyway. If any happen to arrive, give them away and don't worry about whether they're going to be soup or Dark Overlords of someone else's flock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 You want one rooster, so you have fertilized eggs, at least for the most nutritious :) You can have nice roosters... :) At least ones that won't get ya, if you're the boss :) I'd consider getting a donkey or something if I had room, to help protect the chickens... Donkeys are one of the animals that protect, right? Lots of traps around for those chicken killers! ;( The bold above is actually a myth. "...a sperm contributes an insignificant amount of nutrient to a fertilized egg." From Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. You gather eggs at least daily and sometimes several times a day depending on heat and other circumstances. That doesn't give a fertilized egg time to begin an embryo. Typically, eggs with embryos are not eaten. My mom has guineas and they are amazing. They raise the alarm when necessary and they also kill snakes. Snakes are a natural enemy of chicken farmers because they will eat your eggs and leave no trace they were there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsJewelsRae Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Sorry, we eat them. Or put them on kijiji and pretend that whoever takes them is going to keep them as a pet. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 My mom has guineas and they are amazing. They raise the alarm when necessary and they also kill snakes. Snakes are a natural enemy of chicken farmers because they will eat your eggs and leave no trace they were there. Awesome. I did not know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Awesome. I did not know that. Yeah, my mom had peacocks because she heard they would get rid of snakes, but her snake population didn't go down until she got guineas. She has a lot of snakes were she lives. A bobcat killed her guineas this winter and this year so far she's seen about a snake a week, some rattlers and some bull snakes. She saw 2 in one day! She's terrified of snakes. Poor lady! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Yeah, my mom had peacocks because she heard they would get rid of snakes, but her snake population didn't go down until she got guineas. She has a lot of snakes were she lives. A bobcat killed her guineas this winter and this year so far she's seen about a snake a week, some rattlers and some bull snakes. She saw 2 in one day! She's terrified of snakes. Poor lady! Okay, we only have the pretty and harmless ribbon, garter and green snakes here but I suspect they'd go after eggs. Guineas are on my must have list anyway. My neighbour has them and they generally find their way up to our property during the summer to clear out our ticks population but I'd like to have our own so they could clear out the ticks sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 fwiw, we let them "go free". we can't bring ourselves to kill them or eat them or give them to folks who might kill them, so we just let them go. only one came back, and after four days and to releases, we let him stay.... ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 fwiw, we let them "go free". we can't bring ourselves to kill them or eat them or give them to folks who might kill them, so we just let them go. only one came back, and after four days and to releases, we let him stay.... ann :001_huh:That I couldn't do. I can't see how that's any kinder or more responsible then giving them a quick death myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I recently read Guinea Fowl are excellent for helping keep chickens safe as well. They don't hesitate to raise the alarm. They're also excellent for ticks. I'm considering getting some myself. Me too! Our new farm's going to have guinea as soon as I can manage it. Hate ticks. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Well, I happen to know for a fact that roosters are Satan's minions. So, don't have any roosters to begin with. I never do. I get sexed chicks (and there is the rare occasional boy in there). Hens are so much happier without roosters around anyway. If any happen to arrive, give them away and don't worry about whether they're going to be soup or Dark Overlords of someone else's flock. :lol: They are indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Well, I happen to know for a fact that roosters are Satan's minions. So, don't have any roosters to begin with. I never do. I get sexed chicks (and there is the rare occasional boy in there). Hens are so much happier without roosters around anyway. If any happen to arrive, give them away and don't worry about whether they're going to be soup or Dark Overlords of someone else's flock. :lol: fwiw, we let them "go free". we can't bring ourselves to kill them or eat them or give them to folks who might kill them, so we just let them go. only one came back, and after four days and to releases, we let him stay.... ann Er...so you let them be killed by some animal? I would be concerned about feeding some carnivore and giving it a taste for chicken. Chickens are domesticated, I don't think they would be able to fend for themselves very well. That doesn't sound humane to me at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Name them things like "Stew" and then proceed to do that which you do not wish to hear..... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Roosters are, according to Temple Grandin (PH.D Animal science researcher), monster rapists. I agree....capitol punishment is befitting! :D You won't find many people who will take one off your hands for a pet because of their personality. You might find someone who will take them off your hands and make roast chicken thereby relieving you of having to do that yourself or hauling them to the butcher. Rarely will you encounter someone with a bunch of hens and a need for another rooster. Sorry. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Roosters are, according to Temple Grandin (PH.D Animal science researcher), monster rapists. I agree....capitol punishment is befitting! :D You won't find many people who will take one off your hands for a pet because of their personality. You might find someone who will take them off your hands and make roast chicken thereby relieving you of having to do that yourself or hauling them to the butcher. Rarely will you encounter someone with a bunch of hens and a need for another rooster. Sorry. Faith My dh used to think I was nuts for not having even one rooster. I told him that, IMO, that would be like sending my biddies to chicken prison. They'd never know when they were going to get raped next, they'd only know that they would be. My disdain for roosters truly knows no bounds. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Turning a domestic animal loose to fend for itself is not kind at all, and furthermore gets predators interested in where he came from and interested in your hencoop. You don't have to eat it, you can give it to someone who will or get someone to put it down for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Turning a domestic animal loose to fend for itself is not kind at all, and furthermore gets predators interested in where he came from and interested in your hencoop. You don't have to eat it, you can give it to someone who will or get someone to put it down for you. Well, maybe my disdain for roosters does have bounds. I do disagree with just letting them loose. If they're going to be food, don't make them bait first. Do it quickly and cleanly. That's just common decency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 But how do you take a creature you've fed and cared for since infancy and kill it then gnaw on its flesh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I successfully gave a rooster away on craigslist to a woman who had one hen and was planning to get more and wanted chicks. Or at least that's what she claimed; if she was planning to eat him she put on a pretty good act. He was young (just started crowing; he wasn't supposed to be a rooster); we'd raised him with lots of handling and he wasn't at all aggressive (at least not yet), and I said all of that in the ad. I got several responses from people who claimed to want him for...non-culinary purposes. So that could work. If it hadn't, the next step was definitely to give him to anyone who would take him, though; we can't have a rooster here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 But how do you take a creature you've fed and cared for since infancy and kill it then gnaw on its flesh? Salt and pepper. That's all it takes. :D Seriously, that's the whole point, at least for us. It's why we've got 25 meat chickens including one runt who had vent issues and needed to be cleaned nightly, have vaseline and pre-h applied and would fall asleep in my hands. Cute little dude. But I'll be eating him. I'll know that I've done my best to ensure those chickens had a good and healthy life. That I'll have done the work needed to deserve to eat them. I grew up with meat animals so it doesn't seem strange to me I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 I grew up a vegetarian who would get very angry with my dad and brothers for going hunting. It would crush my soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 I had what my dad called 'bambi syndrome' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I had what my dad called 'bambi syndrome' Not us. :) Dad would take us with him when he went to set or check rabbit snares. I guess we were pretty typical rural kids. We ate what we hunted, trapped or raised and everyone around us did too. But I don't think there's anything wrong with not wanting to do that. We're all wired differently and have different sensitivities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I grew up a vegetarian who would get very angry with my dad and brothers for going hunting. It would crush my soul A little further to my last post...I think that you're completely consistent as well. I tend to have a problem with folks who might pose the same initial question you did but then have no problem buying factory farmed chicken legs at the grocery store. I should also note that I'm somewhat hypocritical. We still buy meat from big chain grocery stores. We're in transition to buying from local producers and growing our own animals. So you're probably on higher moral ground then me right now. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I grew up a vegetarian who would get very angry with my dad and brothers for going hunting. It would crush my soul Then, by all means, hon, don't kill them and eat them. It's not hard to give them away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Hang little, "Please Eat me," signs around the roosters' necks! :lol: We tried that once: locked a mean rooster out of the barn/pasture for a few nights. We thought that would work b/c we had had guineas and hens who had inadvertantly gotten locked out taken by a racoon... foxes and hawks on occasion during the day... No luck! No one wanted any part of that mean ol' rooster. Had to give him away 'cause he started comin' after US in our own backyard (that'll teach us to lock him out of HIS, huh?). The 4H leader who got him LOVED him. He was a beauty. Other than that one, we eat them. But it doesn't matter 'cause you can't hear me anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Name them things like "Stew" and then proceed to do that which you do not wish to hear..... :D We raised ducks once and told the kids not to name them b/c they were going to be dinner. So... several months later... over dinner (duck)... the kids told us they had gotten the last laugh. They named 'em anyhow: BBQ, Finger Lickin', and Drumstick! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I recently read Guinea Fowl are excellent for helping keep chickens safe as well. They don't hesitate to raise the alarm. They're also excellent for ticks. I'm considering getting some myself. They do raise the alarm and they eat ticks. But they're fairly dumb. Ours present themselves as a buffet when they see a predator. Seems their method of defense is to run toward the predator (yelling). Ummm... yeah... foxie says, "I'll take you and you. Thanks!" I guess it works, though: it keeps the hens safe (the fox is full). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Roosters are, according to Temple Grandin (PH.D Animal science researcher), monster rapists. :lol::lol::lol: If hens could talk, I think mine would agree! :lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Salt and pepper. That's all it takes. :D Nice :D We used to breed chickens, and the roosters who were the second string (not actively wanted for mating purposes at the moment) had their own pen. It was fairly large so that they could escape getting killed by the other roosters. You could try penning your spare roosters separately if you really genuinely can't bear to give them away to someone who might eat them. That way, at least your poor ladies will have some rest (and some feathers on their backs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 A little further to my last post...I think that you're completely consistent as well. I tend to have a problem with folks who might pose the same initial question you did but then have no problem buying factory farmed chicken legs at the grocery store. I should also note that I'm somewhat hypocritical. We still buy meat from big chain grocery stores. We're in transition to buying from local producers and growing our own animals. So you're probably on higher moral ground then me right now. :) No, I'm a hypocrite too. I started eating meat a couple years ago when it was about the only thing my dd could eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 No, I'm a hypocrite too. I started eating meat a couple years ago when it was about the only thing my dd could eat. LOL!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Lol :D I actually find it significantly easier to eat a chicken that I knew, that had a chicken-ish life, instead of one that was raised in a box by Tyson. Even if it was Mr. Cluckles or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Lol :D I actually find it significantly easier to eat a chicken that I knew, that had a chicken-ish life, instead of one that was raised in a box by Tyson. Even if it was Mr. Cluckles or something. It's funny but everyone at the farm store warned us not to give the chickens names and not to let the kids get attached. It was never an issue. We care for them, we smile at their antics, we pick them up, we get worried if one seems hurt, we coddled the one that had issues and even named that one yet none of us is against eventually eating them. I don't find that we had to have any artificial emotional distance from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I agree with Wishbonedawn. I think that if the purpose of the chicken is itterated up front and then openly talked about throughout the chicken's life, that emotional distance isn't needed so much. But, again, I do maintain that roosters are monster, serial rapists and that it is a possitive mercy to the female chicken population, to roast them (I highly recommend stuffing them with crumbled cornbread that has been mixed sauted with celery, minced garlic, and mushrooms - use butter) and coated with herbs. It is a befitting end to such a violent life! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 It's funny but everyone at the farm store warned us not to give the chickens names and not to let the kids get attached. Yeah. When my parents got our first beef steer, we were told not to give him a name ... but you know, it's so weird to keep saying 'the steer'. He ended up named Hamburger King. But again, I agree with both of you. When you *know* it's going to be eaten from early on, it doesn't seem as big a deal. Although for someone who knows it's going to be an issue, I recommend a larger batch of anonymous chickens such as Cornish Crosses, at least at first. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Hamburger King. Love that! We named our two pigs Ham bone and Barbeque. If we had a steer, Dh says his name would be T-Bone! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl in NM Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Love that! We named our two pigs Ham bone and Barbeque. If we had a steer, Dh says his name would be T-Bone! Faith We had a steer names T-Bone, one named Taco Bull and one named Super Meatball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 But how do you take a creature you've fed and cared for since infancy and kill it then gnaw on its flesh? How do you buy meat from the grocery store knowing how horribly it's been treated from it's birth to the moment of it's death? We eat our animals content in the knowledge that they lived happily until the end. I agree that it's irresponsible to let a domesticated animal loose to get eaten alive by predators. Do the job yourself or give it to someone else who will do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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