Re-homing roo: how much will it upset my girls?

[ebonykawai]

I really need to re-home him, though we all love him. He's wayyy overmating his favorite, though he has 10 hens to keep him busy. I have her in a saddle, which has helped considerably, but he's now ripping all the feathers out of the back of her neck, and unless they make hoods for chickens, I don't know how I can stop him from doing that.

So anyway, I've found a great home for him on a farm just north of us, but I'm wondering just how upset my hens will be when he's gone. For those of you who have gotten rid of your roo from your flock of ladies, how did they react? Is there a major re-adjustment period? Is there anything I can do to help with that?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Chickenaddict]

I don't think the girls would mind, they may like the break. They may start squatting for you tho lol

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

I just recently "rehomed" our moody rooster up the road to our elderly Italian neighbours and the next morning the girls were having a spa day in the coop...laying in the sun from the window....there alot happier I even notice I got a couple more eggs than usual ...I dont think there will be a problem...

 

[birdlover]

They will thank you for it, I assure you! Especially his lady love!

 

[blueskylen]

i had broken down and bought a small roo this summer, altho he is good to the hens , I wish that I had resisted. They all seem to be more hyper and not as friendly, don't like to be touched. I won't get rid of him, unless he turns mean or something, but think that they were more well adjusted without him and won't get another.

 

[krcote]

I'm also thinking of getting rid of mine. I like him but he too is over-mating one of the girls and has many others. She wont even go into the coop at night! She had a frozen layer of ice and snow on her last night! I have to pick her up and put her in. The second I put her in, he runs over to peck her- he doesn't always try to mount. Freak-o.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Thats why I "rehomed" my rooster and I had him all his life....over the holidays he pecked two hen's almost to death.. we had to put them down...WE were away...so my brother did it for us ..when we got home the rooster went to the neighbours.....and my girls are soooo very very happy...and if I need some fertilized eggs I will just buy them and place them under my hen when she goes broody....If the Rooster was "almost" purebreed I would have made sure I found a good place so he could breed happily ...

 

[Akane]

They will probably be thrilled and lay even more eggs for you. Roosters don't really seem to keep hens happy and some just add more stress.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Mine were a bit freaked out the first few days. The slightest noise sent them running over each other for the coop

After those few days though they have been HAPPY!
I can now handle all the girls. And my BA hen has taken over as the "leader" I like knowing that they are relaxed. I also like being able to go in and put without having to carry a broom or rake to defend myself. Yeah, he was a rat.

 

[dancingbear]

Hen's don't miss abusive roos, which yours appears to be. I never keep one that's mean to the hens, even if it's only one hen being beat up. There are way too many perfectly nice roos to put up with a bad one.

I don't want them to pass along those genes, either.

I eat them. Mean roo, mmmmm, tasty! Usually have to cook them in the crock pot though, too tough otherwise.