Craigslist Roosters (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I have too many roosters? ›

Too many roosters mating with the same females can really injure your girls. If you notice feathers missing from the back of the head or on their backs, it's time to remove the boys.

Happier Hens

If you own and overlook a lot of chickens, a rooster makes your life easier by watching over them and governing them. The hens experience a state of order and liberty that they didn't have before. Without a rooster, the most aggressive and dominant hen would usually take over and be a bully.

– Minimum parcel size required 1 acre. – A maximum of nine (9) male poultry per parcel are allowed, but no more than 2 of any genus (a class, kind or a sort of a species).

Advertise on Craigslist for free birds to a good home. Many poultry people are currently buying and selling on the internet. This is better than asking local 4-H kids, farm families or poultry clubs to take your unwanted birds.

Call a local feed store to see if they know of anyone who might want an extra rooster (this is great for finding small farms, too). Some feed stores will even take your roosters for free, and keep them until they can sell them to people interested in a pet rooster of their own!

So, the first thing to note is aggressive roosters are not trying to be mean–they are simply performing instinctual behaviors that would have ensured their survival in the wild. An aggressive rooster is usually just trying to protect his flock or establish his dominance.

With multiple roosters you will need more than the bare minimum of space. You'll want to double or even triple the minimum space per bird for your flock. If too many roosters compete in a confined space, testosterone-fueled aggression and territoriality can boil to a head.

We normally recommend one rooster for every ten hens or so. In a large flock, there is often more than one rooster, with no problems. In smaller flocks, it's a greater risk. However, many breeders keep significantly greater numbers of roosters with their girls--one rooster for every two, or one for every five.

Roosters can be eaten, but they are not commonly found in the marketplace. The meat is much more challenging than hens because it hasn't been bred to grow fast and heavy like broilers or fryers. If you decide that rooster sounds tasty, make sure you cook them low-and-slow for best results!

No, you do not need a rooster in order for your chickens to lay eggs. A happy, healthy hen will begin laying eggs at about six months old and continue laying until all of the eggs that they are born with have been laid. Your hens may actually prefer not to be constantly “bothered” by a rooster.

How long do roosters live? ›

On average, a rooster's lifespan is about 5-8 years. Sometimes a rooster's lifespan can exceed that of his hens because he does not have the strain of egg production. On the flip side, he is the flock protector and often puts himself in more risky situations to protect his flock, which can shorten his lifespan.

In general, we can opt for a rooster to hen ratio of 1 to 10 or 1 to 12, that is, maintain one rooster for every 10 to 12 hens (in the case of heavy breeds we can go down to 1 male for 5 females).

Rooster flocks tend to do best if they live away from female chickens entirely. In most cases, it's a good idea to put visual barriers between rooster flocks and any neighboring hens. With no hens to try to impress or fight over, a peaceful living situation is more likely.

Ideally you should have at least 10 hens for each rooster in your flock. Having a proper hen to rooster ratio in your flock will prevent rooster fights and keep the hens from becoming stressed out by too much rooster attention.

Dumping a bird is practically a guarantee it will die from disease or predation, and suffer before it does. Roosters are most commonly dumped and they fight, injuring and/or killing each other. The best idea is to find someone who will take care of this for you in a humane manner.

If you decide to keep multiple roosters in a flock, you will want to double or triple your coop/run space. The general rule for space per hen is 3 square feet of coop space and 10 sq feet of outside run space. Of course the more space the better, but if your space is limited, these are the guidelines for happy birds.

Unless the rooster is a rare breed, or is a show quality specimen, your best chance for rehoming is to offer it for free. You might earn a few dollars, and attract more interest, if you can spare a hen or two to go with the unwanted rooster. To entice takers, include a photo showing how handsome the rooster is.