TRADING CHICKENS – Too Many Roosters and Not Enough Hens
5 to 4 is a bad ratio, and so is 2 to 400.
Last year, we got some free roosters from a lady. They were Bantam/Cochin mixes and the most legendary one of them was named “Monster Truck the Eagle” by our son. Originally, we started with five. Then, we got some hens, but only a handful. Later on, @smailer bought us a Turken rooster, but he eventually died, so we got a replacement. Then @felixxx and @dresden got us a few more.
As time went on, a few were butchered, a hawk got a couple and we were left with only four hens, but five roosters. Really, four hens do not need five roosters fighting over them, so we had a problem.
Incidentally, a friend of ours (the same one who taught @papa-pepper about Sassafras and Rabbit Tobacco and who sold us the Turken rooster and Silver, the Chinchilla Rabbit Doe) got a few hundred free hens a while back. Originally, he had picked up about 500!
The first time that @papa-pepper stopped in after our friend had picked up his new friends, @papa-pepper laughed for a few minutes straight. Seeing an area covered with hundreds of chickens free-ranging is a sight to behold! The friend only had two roosters though.
We were pretty sure that we could have some of the hens from our friend if we just asked, but we thought that this would be a good opportunity for a trade. Our big white rooster is our main guy, and we like the look of the Bantam/Cochin mixes, but we just had too many roosters and we thought that out friend could probably use a few more. Since we had roosters to spare, we made the call.
Our friend thought that it was a good idea too, so we loaded up three of these beautiful creatures and drove over. We figured that we could use about ten more hens, bringing our total up to fourteen. This way, we should be able to get at least a dozen fresh eggs every day once they all start laying regularly.
The deal sounded good to our friend too, so he got three new roosters out of the deal and we got ten more hens. Since the roosters are good at fertilizing the eggs, we should be able to hatch out some chicks this spring too!
Slowly but surely, our farm is expanding and we are becoming more self-sufficient! We’re not sure what the future holds, but we’ll keep you posted!
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If you start raising chicks from eggs, when you hens go broody.
You will often get more roosters than you need.
So, when those males get to be about 5 pounds, then cull them and turn them into chicken broth. Roosters are tougher meat, and isn't so good roasted, but they make good soup.
Make a big batch of broth for dinner, filter half of it and can it.
Finish the rest with anything you like in chicken soup.
Excellent advice @builderofcastles! Thanks so much!
or you can make real coq au vin.
Wow your poultry looks so mature :)
what about eggs ? :)
Lots of eggs!
Thanks for the excellent post @little-peppers!
You're welcome!
I bet all the roosters are real happy now also.
They are taking it well!
I am glad you put that Steem to good use.
Thanks so much for the opportunity @felixxx!
Great photos and a wonderful education for your little peppers.
They keep learning!
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You @Little-peppers know how to make a good trade! Enjoy your new hens and all the eggs you will be getting from them! We will enjoy seeing more about your new hens, too!