Roosters... Should You Keep Them? Process Them? What To Do!?

Today we tackle the issue of Roosters and what you should do with roosters on your small farm or homestead.

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Whether or not you keep roosters on your farm or homestead can be a hard decision.

We love to keep a few roosters with our flock. Roosters make great sentries for our hens. Roosters are always on the lookout for danger, and will fight off predators for you.

But some roosters can be too loud for your neighbors or too mean for you and your children to be around.

Sometimes a farm can even have too many roosters. So what should you do with roosters? We talk about it in todays videos.

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[jerrycoon]

Funny, I can listen to a rooster crow anytime but a dog constantly barking really gets on my nerves

[stoneybrookefarms]

Thanks to Homesteady, I was able to butcher my first rooster this week. I didn’t want to do it, of course, (as just a few short years ago I couldn’t even touch a whole fryer from the store because it looked too much like a chicken 😂) but it became necessary for two reasons—1)The “female only” chicks I bought were NOT female was wondering how they would know at a day old, but being a newbie, I just went with it. Lesson learned...2)He was just plain ole’ MEAN! I got really tired of being pecked by him!
So, I watched some videos, including your duck butchering video, bought me a traffic cone for $10 at Lowe’s instead of waiting for a “real cone” to ship from a poultry company, and did what I NEVER thought I could do.
I feel so accomplished, because I know that I gave that bird the best life I could—fed him good feed and provided him with a safe environment, and then killed him in as peaceful a way as possible. I took it from a few days old to the freezer to provide for my family. That makes me feel so good about what I’m doing! This is really what homesteading is all about! Taking what you have and using it for the good of your family and community. Thanks for all the encouragement y’all have given me in this journey. You have taught me so much, and I look forward to many more lessons in the future!! #iamhomesteady

[AndrewLaddusaw]

We have a farm by us that does an exchange. 1 Rooster for 1 hen chick. They do it a few times a year here in Western PA. It's a good program for those who don't want to butcher.

[Pwhisperer]

My dad told me a story about when he was a kid back in the 1940's. His grandfather had a rooster who had a bad attitude, but it was rather sporadic, and usually just aimed at kids. One day my dad, as an adventurous 8 yr old was doing some chores around the homestead, helping his grandfather feed animals and such, when outta the blue this rooster attacked my father and was violently trying to spur and peck the youngster. His grandfather, seeing what was happening, stepped in and punted the rooster across the barnyard. Well, that was the last time that rooster did that. He survived, and continued being a rooster, but he attacked no more Humans.

[jenniferrice]

Loved this video. If you have beat up hens, get some chicken saddles or hen saddles, they can protect your hens from disease or being picked on by the other hens when they see that one is hurt from too much hard breeding from the roosters. It's good animal husbandry, take care o' them hens. Best wishes always. Peace

[pixychx]

I'm lucky, I live in a urban area but EVERYONE who has chickens has a roo, so they are all going off all around. It's really quite lovely. I found my little bantam roo as a teenage chick in the road (someone prob just tossed the poor thing and hoped for the best) turning out as a roo, and he protected our flock yesterday from a huge hawk! Along with the crows chasing it off, but he earned his keep, and now hes super vigilant today

[arccroses]

I had one silver laced Wyandotte rooster that always tried to fight my oldest daughter and even cut me, through a pair of pants, on my knee. I beat him with my flip flop and he didn't go for me again. We did eat him soon after. We have a beautiful black Australorp (Noir) who is head 'man' of the flock, a Rhode Island red (Rhodey Roo), who doesn't get much play, and a young Barred Rock roo (Bob) for our flock of 35 hens. All are very well behaved with us. Rhodey Roo loves my oldest and dances for her, she told him something in chicken one day and he's loved her ever since..Haha.

[richardlwakeland]

There is 6 or 7 family’s around our house plus ours with roosters. It nice to set outside and listen to them

[dianecharles]

I have one rooster and we absolutely love him ! We got rid of the one that was mean. Our barred rock we have now and he’s gentle around us and the grandkids. This was very good information!

[dalethibodeaux]

White rooster
years ago when we raised chickens, we had a big white rooster with one white hen.  one day we noticed that the rooster stopped crowing.  he would try, but nothing would come out.  so we took him to the vet. the vet said that he needed more hens.  sure enough, once we got more hens, the crowing came back.

[roco]

I just bought a bunch of old chicken supplies and the guy included a caponizer, we have never done the procedure but it is a very interesting antique kit

[victoriakennedy]

you can get a little collar that reduces the sound of the crowing - they sell them on ebay

[saprenna]

Just came across this video again. I can't believe it's been over 2 years already! Time just flies!

[Drewskidelmar]

Great video, I’ve got four young bantam roosters in our flock so I started researching. Hopefully I can keep them as they free range all day

[tyrroo]

Dude, LOVE the song you're using at the 5:00 mark! It fits perfectly and is enjoyable to listen to!

[mas]

It's the best relaxing sound in the start

[cherokeeessence]

I've never heard of caponing for flavor, all the videos and stories I've heard were for a beneficial "Nanny" rooster. When they are caponed they stop acting like a male, except they will still protect the chicks. From what I have heard when they are caponed they begin acting as a nanny to the chicks, and will defend them to great lengths. They no longer have the urge to fight and stop competing for the hens. Essentially Nanny/bodyguards for the flock. Many times in the old days they would capone a rooster to add to the protection of the flock.

[heatherlilly]

Thank you so much for your honesty regarding how and what to do with roosters! It has definitely helped me to make my decision.

[muhammedq]

I live in a city my rooster scares all the dogs in the neighborhood lol 😂 I even take him shopping

[ImLisaMoore]

I only want one rooster but 25 hens. Will that work ok if I'm not wanting all the hens eggs fertilized anyway?