Give me the truth about roosters

[Bawkbok]

Some people are not allowed to have roosters legally where they live. A legal constraint should not preclude them from enjoying fresh organic healthy eggs from their own chickens. Not all people have the means, resources or the ability to move or live in the country where ordinances don't exist.

 

[Shadrach]

I see your point completely; but, adjusting my view is not like flipping a switch. I wish it were, but it is not. We do not "farm" our land, but we do "manage" it for wildlife, which, of course, includes harvesting.

My chickens, though, I see differently. I agree - it is my own perspective foisted upon my flock. My sense of care-taking seems to include protecting them from harm - even harm that would come from my own hand b/c they depend on me for sustenance. To cull them or to harvest them seems, in my mind, like betrayal. I know that it is not, but I simply feel that way. This is the reason we manage our land for wildlife to obtain ag valuation instead of running cattle (which would be a lot easier in my opinion). I simply do not like killing things. I don't think I could actually eat a chicken I raised and harvested unless my life depended upon it.

I do see the point of having at least one rooster though and will probably continue in that vain. Most of my girls do enjoy his company and the others tolerate him well. I do think they would miss him, as would I, if he were gone.

Thank you.

I understand.
Despite having been brought up on a farm I had deep misgivings about harvesting the live creatures. I gave up eating meat for a while; not gone full vegan mainly due to the nutrition problems eating such a diet.
I was left with a stark choice when it came to the chickens. I wanted/want them to lead as natural life as possible; the most essential bit being able to reproduce. I have tried, with some success, to let any hen that goes broody to sit and hatch at least once in her life. The tribes in Catalonia I cared for went from never being broody to pretty much all the hens going broody. I might have a broody hen or two in each tribe. Four tribes and that's a lot of chicks at any positive hatch rate!

I couldn't house and feed them all. It was that simple. I really don't like passing the responsibility on to other people I don't know, so that greatly reduces the re-homing option.

Predation, which while upsetting is at least natural, reduced the juveniles and chicks; that still left me with more than I could cope with.
I got to the point where I had decided a number of each batch was going to be food if they survived to six months old. I didn't and still don't get to eat a lot of chicken, but what chicken I do eat tastes like nothing I can buy and I know how they've been fed and treated.

 

[MarlaMac]

I understand.
Despite having been brought up on a farm I had deep misgivings about harvesting the live creatures. I gave up eating meat for a while; not gone full vegan mainly due to the nutrition problems eating such a diet.
I was left with a stark choice when it came to the chickens. I wanted/want them to lead as natural life as possible; the most essential bit being able to reproduce. I have tried, with some success, to let any hen that goes broody to sit and hatch at least once in her life. The tribes in Catalonia I cared for went from never being broody to pretty much all the hens going broody. I might have a broody hen or two in each tribe. Four tribes and that's a lot of chicks at any positive hatch rate!

I couldn't house and feed them all. It was that simple. I really don't like passing the responsibility on to other people I don't know, so that greatly reduces the re-homing option.

Predation, which while upsetting is at least natural, reduced the juveniles and chicks; that still left me with more than I could cope with.
I got to the point where I had decided a number of each batch was going to be food if they survived to six months old. I didn't and still don't get to eat a lot of chicken, but what chicken I do eat tastes like nothing I can buy and I know how they've been fed and treated.

Yes. My brother in law and sister in law raise chickens for meat. I agree - the chicken is far better than anything that can be found in a store. Thank you for sharing.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Perris covered pretty much all points.
I free range my birds and I'd never let them out without a rooster. A good rooster is essential for a healthy flock.
If you have a rooster, you can forget about bullies. If 2 hens are fighting, he'll take care of that. If a pullet is chasing young chicks, he will take care of that. If a gluttonous hen is eating all the treats and not letting the smaller girls have any of them, the rooster will take care of that.
With a rooster, I can forget about hawks. I've never lost a single chick to a predator.

I had two roosters when a hawk attacked. Well, a rooster and a very good cockerel. The rooster led the hens to the safety of the hen house while the cockerel covered them from the rear. After that, I only had a rooster. I was really sad about that, but at least I didn't lose any hens.

I also think it's animal abuse to never let a broody hen hatch babies. It's their nature to reproduce. If they go broody, they must have babies to be happy. At least once a year, a broody should be let have babies.

And if there is no room on the farm for those babies, then what? They should go in the freezer because it's abusive for ghe hens not to reproduce willy-nilly? How is that not abusive, to hatch chicks just to kill them?

I also think we should learn how to cull. I find it to be extremely hypocritical to pay someone to do the filthy job and eat the meat someone else killed.

My DH and I are "older" and unskilked and physically incapable of dispatching birds humanely nor of processing them efficiently. We did try. So now we pay another to "do the filthy deed." Judge us if you must but I do not feel we are any more hypocritical than any of the millions of people who walk into a grocery store and walk out with bags of hot dogs, steak, roast, hamburger, lunch meat, fish fillets, fish sticks, butter, milk or any other animal product they did not raise and process with their own hands. We raise our chickens with love and compassion and we have them processed the best way we can, quickly and humanely. It's the best we can do for them. I don't think we deserve to be judged or criticized for that.

If I ever lost the will to kill an animal for meat, I'd go vegetarian because I can't stand the idea to eat meat without being able to do the deed myself.

And I hope you always can.

 

[Altairsky]

My DH and I are "older" and unskilked and physically incapable of dispatching birds

Physical impairment is another problem. I was referring to the fully able people who goes pucci pucci kitty kitty over every animal, can't kill a fly, tell us farmers that we are monsters for processing our own meat, but spend their life eating burgers and hot dogs and chicken nuggets. We are literally surrounded by these people.

And if there is no room on the farm for those babies, then what?

Females sell good. Males make good dinners. It's the circle of life. Unless one is vegan, what's the difference between taking the life of your own birds or taking the life of a grocery store bird? Well the difference is that my birds are loved, they have a name, are raised in the best way possible for as long as I am allowed to. Grocery store birds are abused from hatch to death, and none of them live past 8 weeks.

 

[Mrs. K]

Baby chicks recognize the broody hens voice before they hatch. They also communicate back and forth while the chicks are in the shell.

They will pick up on it, without that. Many a time, I have successfully put store bought day old chicks underneath a broody hen. Works a treat, and you can freshen your flock without a rooster.

also think it's animal abuse to never let a broody hen hatch babies. It's their nature to reproduce. If they go broody, they must have babies to be happy. At least once a year, a broody should be let have babies.
I also think we should learn how to cull. I find it to be extremely hypocritical to pay someone to do the filthy job and eat the meat someone else killed. If I ever lost the will to kill an animal for meat, I'd go vegetarian because I can't stand the idea to eat meat without being able to do the deed myself.

While I think this is a perfectly admirable way of keeping chickens, one would do better to indicate it is the way they do it themselves.

Animal abuse, hypocritical are pretty harsh words when assigned to someone, whose coop you do not know, whose circumstances you do not know.

Personally, I have used a broody, I almost always do, but Mrs. Feathers had raised two clutches earlier, and was 5 years old. I broke her. No abuse, long term health benefits.

I have culled chickens, butchered, canned and cooked them. I have also boughten chicken in the store. It was handy and clean and tasty.

There are many ways to skin a deer. Lets look at all of them.

Mrs K

 

[BigBlueHen53]

They will pick up on it, without that. Many a time, I have successfully put store bought day old chicks underneath a broody hen. Works a treat, and you can freshen your flock without a rooster.



While I think this is a perfectly admirable way of keeping chickens, one would do better to indicate it is the way they do it themselves.

Animal abuse, hypocritical are pretty harsh words when assigned to someone, whose coop you do not know, whose circumstances you do not know.

Personally, I have used a broody, I almost always do, but Mrs. Feathers had raised two clutches earlier, and was 5 years old. I broke her. No abuse, long term health benefits.

I have culled chickens, butchered, canned and cooked them. I have also boughten chicken in the store. It was handy and clean and tasty.

There are many ways to skin a deer. Lets look at all of them.

Mrs K

Well stated, Mrs. K. One way is not the only way.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

And if there is no room on the farm for those babies, then what? They should go in the freezer because it's abusive for ghe hens not to reproduce willy-nilly? How is that not abusive, to hatch chicks just to kill them?

Animal abuse, hypocritical are pretty harsh words when assigned to someone, whose coop you do not know, whose circumstances you do not know...

...There are many ways to skin a deer. Lets look at all of them.

Mrs K

Thank you both!

 

[SourRoses]

Op, I see the same dominance behavior in my current roo. He checks most of the temperament boxes so I'm disappointed to see him marking specific hens for harassment.
This is a breeding project so I'm always changing the roos, and his paternal line were all very sweet and mild. But this particular boy is an outcross, which has reintroduced some aggression.
Solution: Hatching his chicks and winnowing through for the mild males.
If you like having a rooster, that's what I suggest you do too. I've probably raised and culled more cockerels than I've eaten French fries, and in my experience they are who they are, just come out that way and don't seem to change for anything.
The good side of that is the superstar roos who come along and make being a male something worthwhile. The bad side is inferior specimens that too many folks think they can change.
So look to the next generation, hopefully his replacement will inherit a lot of the good traits and leave some of the bad. But it helps to hatch from the mildest hens. Then weed out any chicks who bully their clutch mates. As they grow, boys arguing with each other is fine, but picking at girls is not.

 

[MarlaMac]

Op, I see the same dominance behavior in my current roo. He checks most of the temperament boxes so I'm disappointed to see him marking specific hens for harassment.
This is a breeding project so I'm always changing the roos, and his paternal line were all very sweet and mild. But this particular boy is an outcross, which has reintroduced some aggression.
Solution: Hatching his chicks and winnowing through for the mild males.
If you like having a rooster, that's what I suggest you do too. I've probably raised and culled more cockerels than I've eaten French fries, and in my experience they are who they are, just come out that way and don't seem to change for anything.
The good side of that is the superstar roos who come along and make being a male something worthwhile. The bad side is inferior specimens that too many folks think they can change.
So look to the next generation, hopefully his replacement will inherit a lot of the good traits and leave some of the bad. But it helps to hatch from the mildest hens. Then weed out any chicks who bully their clutch mates. As they grow, boys arguing with each other is fine, but picking at girls is not.

Thank you.