[elaine]

hi. i am very new to poultry keeping and need some advice. I have an eglu for 3 chickens and have been given an incubator so i am really keen to get some eggs to start my poultry-keeping journey. however, i dont know what to do if i end up with a lot of roosters. is there a humane way to dispatch them as I could not wring their necks having hatched them as chicks. What do people do with excess males?  :?

[Bodger]

Certain crosses of chickens are actually sex linked . This means that all the males will come out one colour and the females another. This means that you have the option of killing the cock chicks as day olds and there by avoiding spending money on food for them.
The other option is to fatten the cockerels up and to eat them.

Its not everyone of course who can bring themselves to do this and in your case I would suggest that you go to a reputable breeder and buy some ready sexed chicks. The breeder will of course be left to sort out the male birds in a way that he sees fit but it will avoid you having to do the evil deed.
Its unfortunately a fact of life that many millions of unwanted male chicks are euthenased every year and that there's no way around it.

[elaine]

thanks i appreciate the advice. have seen sex-linked chix advertised and obvious answer is to buy young chix but if i want to incubate the eggs it is not such an easy option. what is the most humane way to euthanase the males as i haven't the heart to wring their necks? will prob have to be complete wuss and give them to the vet to put down.... pathetic eh?!

[KathyH]

<alert - not for the squeamish>

This sounds even nastier than wringing their necks - but .... certain reptiles eat small chicks. People who keep snakes will buy them off you and they can do the evil deed. If you contact a local pet shop that deals with reptiles they could put you in touch - or try a local zoo if there is one near you that has snakes.
At least you can know that they went back into the food chain in some way rather than be wasted.
Just a suggestion.

[Bodger]

With so many members, your best hope is that there's someone on here who lives close enough to nip in and do it for you.

If you obtain a broody hen and sit it on some infertile eggs for a week or so, you could always slip some day old chicks under her during the night and get some of the enjoyment of hatching eggs. The hen would certainly be none the wiser.

[Aunt Sally]

Why not just get 3 POLs as its your first time with chickens  :!:

[richyrich7]

<alert - not for the squeamish>

This sounds even nastier than wringing their necks - but .... certain reptiles eat small chicks. People who keep snakes will buy them off you and they can do the evil deed. If you contact a local pet shop that deals with reptiles they could put you in touch - or try a local zoo if there is one near you that has snakes.
At least you can know that they went back into the food chain in some way rather than be wasted.
Just a suggestion.

You would have to be very careful with that Kathy as far a I know it's illegal to feed a captive snake a live animal and if they did, the giver of the animal may be in trouble too.
I think their usual practice is to put them into a freezer alive and defrost as required ?

Elaine, I would go with Aunt Sally's suggestion or at the very least bodgers excellent idea of day olds, thats how we started, bought them sex-linked at one day old for £1. they grew into fabulous birds.

IMHO save you incubator for a later date when you feel a little more capable of doing the deed, as sometimes chicks are born deformed and then....

BTW a warm welcome to the forums Elaine  

[Aunt Sally]

BTW a warm welcome to the forums Elaine  

Oh yes I forgot to say a  big welcome from me too  

[Bodger]

The chicks that snake keepers use are gassed in their millions and then frozen.

[MontyTom]

I grow mine on and then sell them/give them away when they start to crow (the unwanted ones anyway).

[alan42]

if your going to use an incubator there is curly toe to watch out for as well as cocks, cockbirds carnt be seen for mounths but curly toe can be seen immediatly also chicks can be deformed in nature the hen would kill or ignore them and let them die but from an incubator the chicks need culling straight away so it realy is a case of saying if i am going to be responsible for hatching the chicks then i have to take responsibility for there future and if that means dispatching them then so be it or imho dont hatch eggs, simple.
alan

[slowef]

My hen's are on eggs again now, both went broody together and due any day but this will be the last I let them hatch.

Its nice to have chicks but its so disruptive to the others for months after. with all the Fighting and protecting that goes on.  Its not worth it really especially when half turn out to be cocks you can't get rid off if your soft like me and can't dispatch them.  I am lucky I have a chap that takes them from me but not many people will.

Get a nice happy group and let them be you will all be better for it

[elaine]

thanks for all the tips folks, some really helpful advice there; and thanks for making me feel welcome - i am sure i will be a regular with other chicken dilemmas! I am going to get some sexed chicks and grow them on. i can then use my incubator to hatch some ornamental pheasants for the garden which doesn't matter if they are males or females - or the incubator will end up back on ebay! thanks again